Soldiers attacked the residence of President João Bernardo Vieira of Guinea-Bissau in the early hours of Sunday in what appeared to be post-election instability, news agencies report.
Reuters reported that Shola Omoregie, the United Nations Secretary-General's representative in Guinea-Bissau, said the president and his family had survived the attack but that "the situation is very serious."
The agency quoted military chief General Batista Tagme Na Wai as saying five attackers had been arrested, "and the situation is under control."
The Associated Press reported the interior minister, Cipriano Cassama, as saying one member of the presidential guard had been killed and several injured. The BBC's West Africa correspondent described the assault as an apparent attempt at a coup.
Election officials announced on Friday that the former ruling party, PAIGC (the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde, founded by Amílcar Cabral), had won parliamentary elections held on November 16.
The recent breakdown of a stability pact had caused concern that the country was too unstable to hold elections.
