Numerous French families called French authorities in Ivory Coast overnight, saying their homes were being attacked and looted, Aussavy said.
There was no word of casualties among French civilians, he said.
Ivory Coast television overnight showed the bodies of five loyalists they said had been killed in Abidjan's violence, journalists said.
A loyalist leader, Eugene Djue, claimed in a telephone interview at least six dead among loyalist demonstrators, allegedly killed by the French. He claimed two girls had disappeared after jumping off a bridge to escape the French helicopters.
France took control of Abidjan's airport by late Saturday, saying it was securing it for any evacuations, after French and Ivory Coast troops traded gunfire on the tarmac.
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