Gunmen kill 3 Muslims in CAR drive-by shooting

Gunmen in the Central African Republic (CAR) have killed three Muslims in a drive-by shooting in the capital Bangui.

The minority Muslim victims were riding in a taxi on Saturday when they were shot dead by anti-Balaka gunmen in a different vehicle, a security source said.

A fourth member of the group survived but was critically injured, the source added.

The taxi driver who remained unharmed said he had picked up the four at a camp and that they were headed to a mainly Muslim district of the capital.

The unrest in the CAR intensified when rebels of the Seleka coalition brought CAR President Michel Djotodia to power by launching an offensive against the government in December 2012 and finally ousting then President Francois Bozizé in March.

Djotodia himself stepped down on January 10 under international pressure for failing to stop months of violence.

On December 5, 2013, France invaded its former colony after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.

Many believe the French troops, known as the Sangaris, turn a blind eye to Christian militia, an accusation Paris rejects.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.