The West African country's military government which seized power from a different junta a year ago said it has detained four people for attempting a coup.

Burkina Faso’s military government said Wednesday its intelligence and security services had thwarted a coup attempt and were actively pursuing others believed involved in what it called a bid to “throw our country into chaos.”

In statement, the junta said it had arrested "officers and other alleged actors" for an "attempt at destabilization," without elaborating on who was allegedly involved. 

So far four people have been detained, the junta said. 

On Tuesday, supporters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore took to the streets of the capital, Ouagadougou, following a call from Traore supporters to "defend" him amid rumors of a coup on social media.

The junta on Monday suspended a French news magazine called Jeune Afrique for publishing an "untruthful" report of tension within Burkina Faso's armed forces.

Burkina Faso is one of a growing list of West African countries where the military has taken power, accusing the elected governments of failing to keep their promises. The current junta seized power in September 2022 by ousting the military regime of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba about eight months after it staged a coup to remove democratically elected President Roch Marc Kaboré.

Capt. Ibrahim Traore was named as the transitional president. However, since its inception, the junta has struggled to end Burkina Faso’s security challenges — the very reason that it said prompted it to take over power in September 2022.

Ouedraogo said an investigation into the attempted takeover was underway and that those behind it had sought to cast Burkina Faso “into chaos.”

The announcement came a day after protesters marched in Ouagadougou, the nation’s capital, expressing support for the transitional government.

The junta’s statement praised citizens “for their resolute and historic commitment to defending the Homeland and protecting it against all those who want to take us backwards into history.” It also commended “the patriotic action and the high sense of duty” of the defense and security forces that thwarted the coup.

The transitional government is running Burkina Faso under a constitution approved by a national assembly that included army officers, civil society groups and traditional and religious leaders. The junta has set a goal of conducting elections to return the country to democratic rule by July 2024.

Burkina Faso has been ravaged by growing attacks by Muslim extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The violence has killed thousands, displaced more than 2 million people and pushed tens of thousands to the brink of starvation.

Since the country’s first coup in January 2022, the number of people killed by Islamic extremists has nearly tripled compared with the 18 months before, according to a recent report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.