Mutineers in Anjouan arrest ruler

The leader of renegade soldiers on the breakaway island of Anjouan, in the Comoros, says his forces have arrested the ruler of the territory.

Salim Ali Abdu, who led a mutiny in Anjouan on Wednesday, told the BBC that Colonel Said Abeid Abderamane was in custody in the capital, Mutsamudu.

Mr Ali Abdu said his forces were in control of the airport and other strategic centres on Anjouan.

Residents said gunfire rang out for about an hour earlier today. They also said graffiti denouncing Colonel Said Abeid had been plastered on walls.

Anjouan broke away from its sister islands in the Comoros in 1997 and has since been troubled by intermittent periods of unrest.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service