ABIDJAN -- Heavy gunfire erupted early on Sunday around the presidency and army headquarters in the capital of the northwest African country of Mauritania, witnesses said. There was also shooting around television and radio stations. Residents contacted by phone from Abidjan said they believed an attempt was in progress to seize power from President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, who first took power in a coup himself before winning elections in 1997. "The shooting is getting heavier and heavier, it is very close to the presidency and army headquarters. The radio has been cut off so we do not know what is happening," said one woman living near the presidency in Nouakchott. But the authorities in Mauritania are reported to have put down an attempted coup. Government sources quoted by the French news agency AFP say disgruntled elements within the army had carried out the coup attempt and had been defeated. President Maaouiya Ould Taya and his family are said to be safe Technically, Mauritania has had a multi-party system since 1991. But the ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party has remained in control. President Taya came to power in a military coup in 1984. The opposition boycotted the last presidential election in 1997. He has kept a firm grip on power, but human rights groups have frequently complained the government's methods are heavy-handed. A number of Islamists have been detained recently as well as some politicians sympathetic to toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Many Mauritanians have been unhappy with Mauritania's ties to Israel, as strong as those of any Arab country.