Panic gripped Ol Kalou town on Thursday after tear gas and gunshots were heard in the Central Business District as residents turned out to vote in the constituency’s by election.
Witnesses said a group of masked individuals dressed in plain clothes arrived in several Toyota Prado vehicles before chaos erupted.
According to eyewitnesses, tear gas canisters were fired into the crowd, forcing traders, voters and pedestrians to flee in different directions as gunshots rang out in the area.
Videos shared online showed people running for safety as smoke filled sections of the town centre.
The motive behind the operation and the identity of the masked individuals remained unclear by the time of publication.
The incident comes despite heightened security in Ol Kalou, where hundreds of police officers had been deployed to oversee the by election and maintain law and order throughout the voting exercise.
Earlier, authorities had assured residents that adequate security measures had been put in place to guarantee a peaceful election.
However, the scenes witnessed in the town centre left many residents shaken, with business temporarily disrupted as people sought safety.
The National Police Service is yet to issue a statement on the incident or explain the circumstances under which tear gas was fired. It also remains unclear whether the reported gunshots were live rounds or warning shots.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had not indicated that voting had been disrupted, with polling continuing in the constituency even as security agencies moved to restore calm.