More heavy fighting erupted around the headquarters of Burundi's state broacaster on Thursday, as troops supporting an attempted coup against President Pierre Nkurunziza said they had launched a major armoured assault to try and capture the state TV and radio complex.

A general supporting the coup told AFP that the main units fighting to oust the president "have just received the order to take RTNB, and this should be done quickly because we have the means." The attack came after state radio broadcast a message from the president, who is out of the country.