Mortars blasted through the capital of the small, coup-prone nation of Guinea-Bissau as the military sealed off the city’s central area and lobbed grenades at the prime minister’s home, according to a diplomat and witnesses.

The next leader of Guinea-Bissau said today it “is facing a very delicate situation” following the assassination of president Joao Bernardo “Nino” Vieira.

The president of tiny African state Guinea-Bissau was assassinated in his palace today hours after a bomb killed his rival, the head of the military.