Six dead in jihadist attack in troubled Burkina Faso

AFP , Wednesday 8 Feb 2023

Three civilians and three volunteers with the security forces were killed Wednesday when suspected jihadists attacked a village in central-eastern Burkina Faso, a local source said.

Burkina Faso troops
File photo showing Burkinabe gendarmes sitting on their vehicle on October 30,2018. AFP

 

The attack on the village of Bekoure, in Bittou district, lasted several hours, a resident told AFP.

"Three civilians and three Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) were killed," the resident said, adding that several people had been injured and many homes burnt down.

A source in the security forces confirmed the attack but said the final toll would be known only after operations to sweep the area for the attackers were over.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso has been rocked by a jihadist insurgency that swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

Thousands have been killed, more than two million people have fled their homes and around 40 percent of the country lies outside the government's control.

Anger within the military at the mounting toll sparked two coups last year.

On Monday, six civilians were killed in a suspected jihadist attack in the centre-west region, the local governor said.

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