Cape Verde Soldier Kills 11, Disappears

A disgruntled soldier is suspected of gunning down eight other soldiers and three civilians Tuesday at a military barracks in Cape Verde, the West African country's government says. The suspected soldier is missing, but there are "strong indications" he was behind the slayings, the former Portuguese colony's government says in a statement on its website. The statement notes "personal motives" inspired the attack, ruling out an attempted coup or any connection with violence associated with drug trafficking that has recently plagued the archipelago. "People are advised to remain calm and serene," the statement says.

A policeman discovered the bodies around midday, Cape Verde Television says, per the AP. The three civilians killed included two Spanish technicians on assignment in Cape Verde, according to the government. The dead were all men aged between 20 and 51. The government says authorities are investigating what happened at the barracks that housed soldiers protecting a hilltop communications hub where the Spaniards and a Cape Verdean were reportedly working on repairs. The government placed security forces on red alert at the international airport in Praia, the capital, and at the island's ports after the attack. (More Cape Verde stories.)