Djibouti Presidential Guard Wounds Two in Airport Shooting

A Djiboutian presidential guard opened fire at the capital's airport Monday, wounding two people, a government spokesman said, adding that President Ismael Omar Guelleh was not present during the shooting.

One of those wounded in the shooting was the president's doctor, Colonel Idriss Abdi Galab.

"All we know is that this is an isolated act, we do not know what really went on in the head of the shooter," said Ibrahim Miyir, a senior official at the communication ministry, adding that investigations were ongoing.

Guelleh had already left the airport when the Republican Guard soldier opened fire, Miyir said.

The soldier was seized and arrested, the state news agency said.

The president traveled to neighboring Ethiopia Monday to take part in a summit of regional leaders to push a ceasefire deal for war-torn South Sudan.

The Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, a former French colony, hosts a strategic port serving landlocked Ethiopia on the Gulf of Aden, commanding the entrance to the Red Sea.

Djibouti is also home to the United States' biggest base in Africa which is used for anti-terror operations in Yemen and Somalia as well as for other operations across Africa.

France also maintains a military base in Djibouti.

Djibouti is also a key contributor of troops to the African Union force in neighboring Somalia, battling Al-Qaida-linked Shebab militants, who have staged attacks in retaliation.

*Photo credit: Xinhua