Gunmen kill 40 security forces members in Burkina Faso

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - At least 40 people were killed in an attack by gunmen on an army detachment in northern Burkina Faso, local authorities said on Sunday.

The attack by unidentified armed men “targeted a detachment of soldiers and the civilian volunteers on Saturday at about 4:00 pm", near Aorema village, about 15 kilometers northeast of Ouahigouya city, Kouilga Albert Zongo, the northern region secretary-general, said in a statement.

“The provisional toll included 34 volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland (VDP) and six soldiers,” he added.

He said that 33 other people were also wounded in the attack.

Local media, meanwhile, reported that dozens of terrorists were “neutralized” in an offensive launched after the attack.

Burkina Faso remains plagued by insecurity, largely due to an insurgency that has spilled over from neighboring Mali.

Last week, at least 44 civilians were killed in two separate terrorist attacks in northern Burkina Faso's Sahel region.

Burkina Faso's military junta has adopted a decree that would allow the state to use “all necessary means” and a “general mobilization” to combat the insurgency.

Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the transition military leader, has set the target of recapturing 40% of the country's territory controlled by insurgents.

The West African country recorded 1,135 deaths attributed to terrorists in 2022, a 50% climb compared to 2021, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index 2023.