Burkinabe armed forces scrapped the constitution of the African country after heavy gunfire in the capital city followed by the arrest of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore on Sunday.

The armed forces, now in charge, also announced curfew at night from 9 pm on Monday to 5 am on Tuesday.

Monday, in a statement, the military announced the complete erasure of the government, closure of the country's borders, and suspension of the constitution. The statement which was attributed to Lt Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba was read on television by Capt. Sidsore Kaber Ouedraogo.

The military boasted that the coup was completely bloodless, and the people who were arrested including Kabore are in a safe location.

The statement said Kabore was unable to unite the country in the face of challenges. 

The military described the coup as the "Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration" and that it would work to establish a calendar "acceptable to everyone" for holding new elections, but gave no further details.

The US State Department appeared to be in favor of the coup as it issued a statement saying it was still "too soon" to characterize developments in Burkina Faso, calling it a "fluid situation" and urging all parties to seek dialogue.

African international institutions, including the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), have condemned the takeover and called for national dialogue.