Four wounded in violence in capital

Central African Republic has been in turmoil since Muslim fighters from the Seleka group briefly seized power in the majority Christian country in 2013. They later handed power to an interim government but still control swathes of the north.

"Bullets are flying everywhere and we are in trouble. The attack on PK-5 started at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) by the anti-balaka (militia). We have counted four people wounded and we don't know about deaths," said Ousmane Abakar, a neighbourhood spokesman.

A witness later said gunfire died down amid heavy rain.

Inter-communal violence surged in Bangui in late September after the murder of a Muslim man, and 77 people were killed and 400 injured.

Peacekeeping forces arrived too late to stop the attack, he said. A 10,500-strong U.N. mission was deployed to shore up the precarious stability established under a transitional government after France intervened in December 2013.