Militants loyal to the Ivory Coast government have destroyed the headquarters of one opposition party in Abidjan and damaged and looted another party's offices early Friday, as tensions in the West African nation continue to rise.
The VOA correspondent in Abidjan, the country's main city, says headquarters of the opposition RDR party, led by former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara, was burned to the ground by militant supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo. The attackers also marched on headquarters of the opposition PDCI party, smashing windows and stealing computers.
Ivory Coast military planes bombed two rebel camps near the northern towns of Bouake and Korhogo Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 40. French peacekeepers who have been monitoring the country's cease-fire say the casualties included both rebels and civilians.
Ivorian officials say the attacks are intended to put rebel-held territory back under government control. Rebels and the government accuse each other of failing to implement terms of a 2003 peace agreement that ended Ivory Coast's civil war.