Gambia says it has thwarted coup plot

The tiny west African nation of Gambia said it foiled plans by top military officials to overthrow the government, arresting six army officers as President Yahya Jammeh cut short an overseas trip.

State radio announced that the head of the army and alleged co-conspirators sought to oust Jammeh, who was visiting nearby Mauritania.

Army chief Col Ndure Cham was believed to be at large, but residents reached by phone said state radio reported six others were being held in the alleged plot, including the army spokesman.

Jammeh cut short his visit to Mauritania and returned to Gambia, a small nation of 1.5 million that bisects its much larger neighbour, Senegal.

Security forces stepped up their presence in the capital, Banjul, and searched cars on main roads, residents said.

Jammeh was a mid-ranking army officer when he rose to power through a bloodless 1994 coup.

He has since won elections that the opposition says were rigged.

The government has reported nine coup plots since Jammeh took power, but none were ever independently proven.