In a suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso, eleven soldiers and fifteen gunmen have been killed, according to the army.
On Thursday, security and local sources estimated that seven soldiers were killed in an attack on a military unit, while a separate attack on a bus claimed the life of one civilian.
However, in a statement issued overnight, the military chief of staff reported that eleven soldiers had been killed.
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“Complex attack — shells fired, followed by direct fire on the base” in Madjoari, province of Kompienga, according to a statement from the government.
“Eleven soldiers were killed…and at least twenty” were injured, it stated.
At least 15 terrorists who were attempting to escape after the attack were “neutralised” by military aircraft, the report stated.
On Saturday, three suspected jihadist attacks in the same regions resulted in the deaths of around 40 people, the majority of whom were army volunteers.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been ravaged by jihadist raids led by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated groups.
Over 2,000 individuals have been killed, and 1.8 million have been displaced.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandiaogo Damiba, the new head of state, has stated that he has made addressing the security crisis his “priority.”
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Damiba deposed the democratically elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore in January, claiming that he was ineffective in the face of jihadist violence.
After a period of relative calm following Damiba’s ascension to power, an increase in attacks has resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 people.
Damiba announced the formation of local committees at the beginning of April in an effort to engage jihadist groups and reduce violence.
