ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar (AP) — Madagascar’s president said Sunday that an attempted coup was underway in the Indian Ocean country , just a day after members of an elite army unit joined youth-led protests against the government and called for the president to step down.

President Andry Rajoelina’s office offered no details on who was behind the attempt and no signs of violence were immediately visible on the streets on Sunday, although there was a large military presence.

A commander of the elite CAPSAT unit, Col. Michael Randrianirina, denied any coup had taken place, but the unit claimed to have taken control of all of Madagascar’s armed forces and said it had installed a new leader of the military, Gen. Demosthene Pikulas.

“We responded to the people’s call,” Randrianirina told

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