A general close to ousted strongman Blaise Compaore took the lead in a Burkina Faso coup Thursday and promised elections would be held "soon", as the death toll from gunshots fired at protesters rose to three.<br /><br />The latest unrest hit the landlocked west African nation just weeks ahead of presidential and legislative elections slated for October 11 -- the country's first since veteran leader Compaore was forced out last year.<br /><br />The power grab began on Wednesday when soldiers from the elite presidential guard (RSP) burst into a cabinet meeting and seized interim President Michel Kafando and Prime Minister Isaac Zida.
