At least eight bodies were found in an Abidjan suburb Sunday in the aftermath of a rampage by troops loyal to Ivory Coast strongman Laurent Gbagbo against supporters of his presidential rival. An AFP journalist and a witness counted eight bodies in the streets of the populous Abobo suburb in the north of the economic capital, which was rocked by heavy shelling Saturday in a show of force by Gbagbo.
His troops streamed into Abobo with tanks, mortars and helicopters in an offensive against supporters of internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara, whose camp denounced the move as "blind murder".
The bodies of four young men were lying in a street in the Plateau Dokui area of the restive suburb, partially undressed and riddled with bullets, an AFP journalist reported.
A resident said he had seen another four bodies in Sodeci in southern Abobo.
"We are struggling to grasp the outcome of these actions, the concrete effects on the ground. A vehicle passing in a street which shoots blindly, what does that change?" one observer told AFP on condition of anonymity.
Gbagbo's show of force comes as international sanctions tighten the noose on his disputed regime which is scrambling to maintain a hold on power as Ouattara tours other countries in the region seeking to shore up support from African leaders.
In and around Abobo on Sunday, pro-Gbagbo troops were out in force as residents of the troubled area - which has been a hotbed of violence since a disputed November election - slowly resumed normal life.