Burkina Faso Jihadist Strikes kill Soldiers, Civilians

A suspected attack by jihadists in eastern Burkina Faso has resulted in the deaths of “several dozen” soldiers and civilian auxiliary, according to sources from the local and security communities who spoke to AFP on Sunday.

Since the year 2015, Burkina Faso has been experiencing a series of violent acts committed by jihadist groups that are affiliated with either Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group.

An army unit from the main city of Diapaga was the subject of a “violent attack” on Friday, according to a security source in Tapoa province, which was the most recent strike.

The victims included regular army soldiers as well as civilian volunteers, and there were a significant number of injured individuals. The source also added that “several terrorists were neutralized in the retaliation” and that the army had begun a check of the area around the region.

A hospital source in the city of Fada N’Gourma, which is located in the eastern part of the country, stated that approximately thirty injured individuals, all of whom were members of the security forces, were transported to the hospital center in the region on Saturday.

There were two different attacks that took place earlier this month in the eastern region, and both of them resulted in the deaths of at least a dozen members of the security forces as well as civilians.

Over two million Burkinabes have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the violence that has cost more that 26,000 lives by jihadists over period of time, according to the conflict monitor ACLED.