It was not immediately clear how many arrests had been made but Amnesty International and two other organisations called on security forces to respect international law.
Gunmen attacked the capital, Banjul, in the early hours of Tuesday, when President Yahya Jammeh was out of the country. Diplomats say at least four attackers were killed and several others are on the run.
Since returning on Wednesday, Jammeh has warned he would not spare anyone involved in the attempted coup, which local media said was led by former presidential guard chief Lamin Sanneh.
Sanneh’s mother and brother were amongst those arrested so far, family members said, asking not to be named.
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Amnesty International, the Senegalese Human Rights League and Pan African rights group RADDHO issued a joint statement expressing their concern over the arrests.
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“While we firmly oppose all accession to power by unconstitutional means, we condemn the arbitrary arrests that are being made in Gambia based solely on people’s links to alleged actors and we fear indiscriminate repression with a view to spread terror,” the groups said.
The groups did not say how many arrests had been made. Gambian authorities have not given any details on arrests.
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Jammeh came to power in a coup 20 years ago and has a tight grip on the tiny nation, a slither of land on the Atlantic coast surrounded by Senegal. A failed coup plot in 2006 led to a crackdown and some executions, according to rights groups.
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