AN apparent assassination attempt involving a 10-minute frenzy of grenades, rockets and gunfire against Itihi Ossetoumba Lekoundzo, defence minister of the Republic of Congo (ROC) was reported to have taken place on Wednesday in Brazzaville. Lekoundzo escaped harm, and there was no word of any injuries or deaths. Military officials linked the attack to disgruntled senior officers. Attackers fled after the arrival of police reinforcements. The violence came a day after the compulsory retirement of several senior army officers. Most of the retiring officers had “never agreed to quit and give up their privileges”, a senior intelligence officer told AP. The attack also came just before the army’s announcement of low-ranking soldiers slated to be dismissed. – Misanet