Armed attackers kill seven Djibouti soldiers - presidential adviser

FILE PHOTO: President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, attends the opening session of the 35th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union at the African Union Commission (AUC) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 5, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

Seven Djiboutian troops have been killed in clashes between the army and an armed opposition group, a presidential adviser told Reuters on Saturday.

Djibouti, home to one of East Africa's major ports as well as U.S. and Chinese military bases, has faced sporadic violence, usually sparked by protests against the government of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, whose party has a tight hold on power.