Nigerian troops pound Freetown killing 49

Medical sources at a separate mortuary earlier reported 20 people had died largely as a result of the bombardment, seen as a warning by Nigeria to the junta which seized power here eight days ago to step down. Nigeria and Guinea sent troops to Sierra Leone after the coup, ready for a strike if talks with rebel leader Johnny Paul Koroma failed. They are thought to have about 3,000 men in Freetown. Earlier, on Monday, hundreds of frightened foreigners cowered in the basement of the beachfront Mammy Yoko Hotel as Nigerian gunships began firing at the coup leaders, who are based in the nearby defence headquarters. Mutineers responded by aiming at the hotel, where hundreds of Nigerian troops sent in to back the ousted government had set up a command post.

The hotel has served as a centre for evacuating foreigners. The Nigerians were deployed there to protect foreigners and assist with the evacuations. The offensive followed the weekend evacuation of most westerners and came after Koroma made clear that he had no intention of giving up.