Death toll from Burkina Faso attack climbs to 53

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - The death toll from an attack Sunday in northern Burkina Faso climbed to 53, the nation’s communications minister said Wednesday.

Ousseni Tamboura told the Council of Ministers that the dead included 49 gendarmes and four civilians, according to the latest assessment.

Forty-six gendarmes were found alive.

The attack occurred at the detachment of gendarmerie in Inata, Soum province in the northern Sahel region.

The Council of Ministers fired two senior army officers Wednesday, including the commander of the group of forces of the northern sector and the commander of the first gendarmerie region.

Tamboura said the assessment requires physical findings by the defense and security forces before a final death toll can be provided.

He indicated that authorities were refraining from announcing those who are missing to increase their chances of survival.

President Roch Kabore ordered an investigation into the attack to establish responsibility.

“We have already taken a number of measures, and I say and I repeat that, at the end of the investigation, all those involved in this issue relating to Inata will be subject to disciplinary sanctions without exception. I make that very clear, without exception,” he said in a statement at the end of a Cabinet meeting.

A 72-hour national mourning period declared Tuesday is set to end Thursday.

Burkina Faso’s area bordering Mali and Niger regularly witnesses attacks by terrorists with links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group.

A total of 480 civilians were killed in attacks orchestrated by insurgents in Burkina Faso between May and August, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

More than 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the attacks, it said.