Series of grenade blasts strike Burundi capital

At least two people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a series of grenade blasts in Burundi's capital Monday, witnesses said.

Two of the explosions happened in an open market in the Ngagara area of Bujumbura, killing the two people. Two other grenades exploded in the center of Bujumbura, injuring 11 people. Another explosion happened in the Buyenzi area, wounding at least three people.

The witnesses insisted on anonymity, citing concerns for their safety.

Although the witnesses said they saw two dead bodies, Security Minister Alain Guillaume Bunyonyi, who visited one of the blast scenes, said one was killed and 32 wounded.

Bujumbura has been plagued by protests and violence since last April, when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would seek a third term in office, which he won. Gunfire and loud explosions are frequently heard in the capital.

The U.N. estimates that more than 230,000 people have fled to neighboring countries since the street protests began and that 432 people have been killed in the unrest. Human rights activists blame government security forces for extrajudicial killings.

The African Union proposed deploying peacekeepers, but Burundi's government has said it would fight them as invaders.

The Associated Press