Burkina Faso’s army said in a statement that at least 33 soldiers were killed and 12 wounded in an attack on a military post in the eastern part of the country on Thursday, reported CGTN Africa.
The attack, which took place on Thursday morning, targeted the military detachment of Ougarou, in Burkina Faso’s Eastern Region.
In a statement, the army said that the soldiers killed at least 40 terrorists before reinforcements arrived. The wounded soldiers were evacuated and were being treated by the health services.
Burkina Faso is one among several West African countries struggling to control violent Islamist insurgency that has spread from neighboring Mali over the past decade, killing thousands and displacing more than 2 million.
Violence in Burkina Faso has increased in recent months despite enhanced security operations. Fighting between the security forces and groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group has killed thousands of people and forced millions to flee their homes.
The country’s armed forces have also been accused of killing innocent civilians during anti-insurgency missions.
According to the United Nations (UN), some unidentified men in army uniforms killed about 150 people during a raid on a village in northern Burkina Faso last week.
Burkian Faso’s military government condemned the attack and said it would investigate the events. Frustration among the people over the authorities’ failure to protect civilians led to two coups last year.
Burkina Faso has faced two coups, with each new leader accusing the previous of having failed to control the violence.
The country’s current transitional President, Captain Ibrahim Traore, who staged the most recent coup on September 30, has vowed to recapture 40 percent of the country’s territory, currently controlled by militant groups linked with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Earlier this month, the ruling military government declared a general mobilization to give the state all necessary means to fight the militants.
