As of: 02/20/2023 8:53 p.m
According to the government, at least 51 soldiers have been killed in an attack in Burkina Faso. They are said to have been ambushed. According to the government, it is one of the worst attacks in the region to date.
At least 51 soldiers have been killed in an attack in northern Burkina Faso, according to government sources. The attack, which took place on Friday, is one of the most serious jihadist attacks in the region to date, the Reuters news agency reported, citing government information.
The soldiers were therefore in Oudalan, the northern border region to Mali, in an ambush. Initially, eight dead were reported, later 43 more bodies were discovered. The government did not blame any specific group for the attack, but said 160 “terrorists” were killed in an airstrike.
Burkian Faso with capital Ouagadougou
Very unstable situation
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. The security situation has deteriorated since an Islamist uprising broke out in neighboring Mali. Since 2015 there have been regular armed attacks by jihadist groups, some of which work with al-Qaeda and the terrorist militia “Islamic State”. The poor security situation has favored two coups since 2020, the last in October.
Friday’s attack on the soldiers came two days before the French military mission in Burkina Faso officially ended. In January, the ruling junta asked France to withdraw its soldiers within a month. Previously, several hundred French soldiers were stationed in the country.