Fighting near Ivory Coast presidential residence

[April 01, 2011]  ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) -- Heavy fighting wracked Ivory Coast's commercial capital overnight with explosions heard downtown near the presidential palace and in the Cocody neighborhood where the presidential mansion and the state TV broadcaster are located.

Late Thursday night, state television quit broadcasting. It was unclear if fighters attempting to install the nation's democratically elected leader had succeeded in seizing the broadcaster.

A diplomat who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the press confirmed that fighting outside state TV and the presidential mansion continued Friday morning.

[Associated Press]

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