2023-06-27 20:01:19
Dozens of soldiers and army auxiliaries were killed on June 26 in two attacks by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, a still provisional toll.
“Terrorist groups attacked the village of Noaka” in the Center-North region, “mainly targeting VDPs”Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP, army auxiliaries) according to a security source who specified that, also on Monday, “another attack targeted a military unit returning from an escort mission that fell into an ambush near Kourao, on the Djibo-Kongoussi axis”, in the Sahel region (north).
According to a local resident, “It’s a massacre that took place in Noaka”, estimating to “thirty” the number of VDPs killed during this single attack and evoking “many injuries”. “The valiant fighters, supported by the army, also made it possible to inflict a heavy loss on the attackers”he added, also speaking of “several motorcycles and weapons recovered”.
“The response of the elements made it possible to neutralize around forty terrorists. Securing and combing operations are underway in these areas”, according to another security source.
The local VDP official also indicated that another smaller attack took place on June 26 in Gayeri, in the province of Komondjari (east), killing four army auxiliaries.
The populations of Tanwalbougou (east) had demonstrated the same day in the face of the resurgence of jihadist attacks, calling for a supply of their locality under blockade of armed groups for several weeks, according to residents.
Burkina has been caught since 2015 in a spiral of jihadist violence that appeared in Mali and Niger a few years earlier and which has spread beyond their borders.
The violence has left more than 10,000 dead, civilians and soldiers, for eight years, according to NGOs, and more than two million internally displaced people.
The country has been ruled since last September by a military government headed by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power following a coup, the second in eight months.
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