Burkina Faso's military took to the airwaves Thursday while gunfire rang out in the streets to declare it now controls the West African country, confirming that a coup has taken place just weeks before elections, ABC News reported on Thursday.

The announcement aired on national television and radio said the transitional government was dissolved and the interim president no longer in power.

The coup leaders, who come from an elite presidential guard unit that had disagreed publicly with the transitional government in recent months, identified themselves as the National Council for Democracy.

The transitional government came to power after the president of 27 years, Blaise Compaore, was ousted late last year in a public uprising. Demonstrators at one point had set fire to the parliament building to protest his move to amend the constitution so he could prolong his rule.

Source: MENA