Eleven former members of the elite Burkinabe presidential guard which staged a brief but failed coup last year were arrested after a raid Friday on an arms depot near the capital, the army said Sunday.

Senior military official Mahamadi Bonkoungou said all 11 people detained were ex members of the RSP unit, which was disbanded after briefly seized power in September in a failed coup and taking Burkina Faso's interim president hostage.

Bonkoungou called for "collaboration" with the public, saying that after the attack security was stepped up and that police were still looking for 15 soldiers linked to the raid.

The attack on the arms depot was staged by "a dozen ex-RSP members" at around 4 a.m. (0400 GMT) Friday with a security guard injured in the attack, Bonkoungou said.

The perpetrators failed to take ammunition but stole several kalashnikovs and anti-tank rocket grenade launchers.

The army announced it would release photos of the suspects still on the loose to "encourage the population to participate in their arrests".

The attack did not claim any victims and the depot at Yimdi, 20 kilometres west of Ouagadougou, is now under the control of the army, the army said on Saturday.

The unit's former chief General Gilbert Diendere mounted a putsch on September 17 using crack troops from the RSP, a group loyal to former head of state Blaise Compaore, who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2014.

September's coup was thwarted by street protesters and support from the army, which attacked the plotters' barracks. At least 11 people were killed and 271 were injured in the demonstrations.

Failed coup soldiers raid Burkina Faso arms depot
Ouagadougou (AFP) Jan 22, 2016 - Former members of an elite presidential security unit which staged a short-lived coup in Burkina Faso last year raided an arms depot Friday near the capital, the army said.

The attack did not claim any victims and the depot at Yimdi, 20 kilometres west of Ouagadougou, is now under the control of the army, a statement said.

"Security has been tightened," it said, adding: "The perpetrators of this attempt have been identified as elements from the RSP" unit, which in September seized power and briefly took Burkina Faso's interim president hostage.

The crack troops were loyal to Blaise Compaore, the west African country's long-serving leader who was ousted in a popular uprising 2014 after 27 years of iron-fisted rule.

September's coup was thwarted by street protesters and support from the army, which attacked the plotters' barracks. At least 11 people were killed and 271 were injured in the demonstrations.

An army source said Friday's 3:00 am attack on the weapons depot was staged by about 20 men.

"They made off with some weapons after tying up some of the men who were manning the depot. One soldier has been injured," the source added.

The raid follows a brazen jihadist attack on Friday in Ouagadougou where 30 people were killed after gunmen stormed a leading hotel and cafe in the city.