Guinea Bissau premier, military chief seized by soldiers

LISBON - Dissident soldiers seized the prime minister and armed forces chief of Guinea Bissau Thursday in an apparent coup in the West African nation, the Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

The report said Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior and armed forces chief Zamora Induta were detained Thursday morning and taken to the military headquarters.

Induta’s deputy, Antonio Indjai, had taken over the military command, the report said, quoting diplomatic sources and international organizations.

Large numbers of troops were seen on the streets of the capital, Bissau, but the situation was calm, Lusa said.