In a suspected jihadist attack in eastern Burkina Faso, eleven soldiers and fifteen gunmen were killed, according to the army.
On Thursday, security and local sources estimated that an attack on a military unit claimed the lives of seven soldiers, 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 service members had been killed.
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“Complex attack — shells fired, followed by direct fire on the base” in Madjoari, Kompienga province, according to a statement.
It stated, “Eleven soldiers were killed… and at least 20 were wounded.”
At least 15 terrorists who were attempting to escape after the attack were “neutralised” by army warplanes, the report stated.
On Saturday, approximately 40 people, the majority of whom were civilian volunteers with the army, were killed in three suspected jihadist attacks in the same regions.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been ravaged by jihadist raids by Al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated groups.
There have been more than 2,000 deaths and 1.8 million people have been displaced.
Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandiago Damiba, the new head of state, has stated that he has made addressing the security crisis his “priority.”
Damiba deposed elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore in January, accusing him of ineffectiveness in the face of jihadist violence.
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Following a period of relative calm following Damiba’s ascension to power, an increase in attacks has resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 people.
At the beginning of April, Damiba announced the formation of local committees in an effort to engage with jihadist groups and reduce violence.
