Police: Guards shot at radio station owned by Madagascar president

Jul 19, 2009, 18:32 GMT

Antananarivo - Gunmen shot dead two security guards at a radio station belonging to interim Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina on Sunday while a third person was killed in a bomb blast near a military building outside the capital, police said.

About a dozen heavily-armed men, some dressed in military uniform, some in civilian clothing, opened fire on guards early Sunday outside Rajoelina's VIVA radio and television station on the outskirts of Antananarivo, a police spokesman told state TVM television.

The attackers shot the guards in the head execution-style and took their mobile phones and some cash, spokesman Richard Ravalomanana (no relation to ousted president Marc Ravalomanana) said.

Also in Antananarivo, one man died and three people were seriously injured when a bomb blew up the car in which they were travelling near a military detention centre on the airport road, police said.

Police said they suspected the victim and the other passengers were on their way to plant the bomb.

Elsewhere, police said home-made bombs had been discovered at two military barracks in the city - one beside the airport, the other near the main sports stadium. The bombs did not explode.

Ravalomanana, the spokesman, said police suspected supporters of the ousted president of being behind the attacks, which follow the explosion of a bomb in a supermarket in June. No one was injured in that attack.

Days later, police apprehended eight people, five of whom had been employed by Ravalomanana's businesses, on their way to plant a bomb in a parking lot for military vehicles.

Police refer to Ravalomanana's supporters as members of the 'Magro' movement, after his giant cash-and-carry store, where thousands of his supporters have been demonstrating on a regular basis since he was ousted from power in March.

Ravalomanana, who was democratically re-elected to a second five- year term in 2006, was forced from office after weeks of protests by the opposition that won the support of part of the military.

Ravalomanana transferred his presidential powers to a military panel, which in turn entrusted them to his arch-rival, former Antananarivo mayor Rajoelina.

The international community has refused to recognize Rajoelina as president, saying the change of power was akin to a coup.

Ravalomanana is in exile in South Africa and Swaziland.

Internationally-mediated talks between the four political movements on the island on the formation of an inclusive transitional government have made little progress.