Reports reaching this newspaper indicated that members of the Gambia Armed Forces have foiled an attempted coup d'etat in the early hours of Tuesday. According to the reports, armed men allegedly led by former State Guard commanding officer, Lt Colonel Lamin Sanneh, launched an attack to take the island capital of Banjul and the seat of power, State House, but were repelled, and neutralised. President Yahya Jammeh was out of town on a private visit to the Middle East at the time.