The government of Sierra Leone has declared an immediate nationwide curfew after a military armory in the country's capital, Freetown, came under attack on Sunday.

The government reported that attempts to breach the armory had been met with resistance. Witnesses in the Wilberforce neighborhood of the city told AFP they heard explosions and gunshots.

"The government and our state security forces are in control," the information ministry assured the public in a statement.

"To enable the security forces to continue the process of apprehending the suspects, a nationwide curfew is declared with immediate effect across the country," the ministry's statement read.

No additional information was provided about the alleged perpetrators of the attack or their motives.

After holding general and presidential elections in June of this year, the English-speaking nation of Sierra Leone in West Africa has been experiencing a political crisis.