Burkina Faso: Jihadis kill multiple soldiers and torch shops and homes

Image: Jihad Watch

Dozens of soldiers and civilian auxiliaries have been killed in a suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso, local and security sources told AFP on Sunday.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been grappling with jihadist violence perpetrated by groups affiliated with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.

In the most recent attack, a security source in Tapoa province reported that an army detachment from Diapaga, the provincial capital, was struck in a “violent assault” on Friday.

The casualties included regular army personnel and civilian volunteers, with many others wounded, the source added.

A separate security source confirmed the incident to AFP, stating that “several terrorists were neutralized in the counteroffensive” and that the army had launched an operation to secure the area.

A hospital source in Fada N’Gourma, a city in the east, reported that “around 30 wounded security personnel were evacuated to the regional hospital on Saturday.”

As the army detachment came under attack, the town of Diapaga was also targeted, with terrorists setting fire to shops and homes, a local resident said.

“The day after the assault, gunfire could still be heard around the town,” the resident added.

According to conflict monitor ACLED, jihadist violence has claimed over 26,000 lives and displaced more than two million people in Burkina Faso since 2015.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)