Forty-seven people including thirty civilians, fourteen soldiers and three army auxiliaries were killed on Wednesday August 18 during an attack by suspected jihadists against a military convoy escorting civilians in northern Burkina Faso, a announced the Burkinabè government.

"A mixed convoy made up of civilians, elements of the defense and security forces (FDS) and volunteers for the defense of the fatherland (VDP) was the target of a terrorist attack 25 km from Gorgadji (north) , during which 30 civilians, 14 soldiers and 3 VDP were killed ", announced the Burkinabè ministry of communication.

The commune of Gorgadji is located in the province of Séno, in the north of Burkina Faso, an area known as the three borders, straddling Mali and Niger.

This region of the country is the most affected by the violence.

The dead, both civilians and soldiers, number in the thousands.

The attack, which also left 19 wounded, took place "while the security forces and the VDP were on a mission to secure civilians bound for Arbinda", according to the government.

"During the response, the FDS and the VDP killed 58 terrorists and many others were wounded and fled", according to the same source, who specified that "relief and ground operations continue".

Three attacks in two weeks

This attack is the third in a series which has each time killed more than ten people in two weeks against soldiers engaged in the anti-jihadist fight in the north and north-west of Burkina Faso.

On August 4, thirty people, including fifteen soldiers, eleven civilians and four army auxiliaries, were killed in attacks by suspected jihadists in the north, near the border with Niger.

On August 9, 12 soldiers were killed and 8 wounded in an attack in the northwest, near the border with Mali. 

On Wednesday, five civilian auxiliaries were killed in an attack in the north of the country.

Poor country in West Africa, Burkina Faso has been plagued since 2015 by regular and deadly jihadist attacks, particularly in the northern and eastern regions, like its neighbors Mali and Niger.

These attacks, often coupled with ambushes and attributed to jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda, killed more than 1,500 and forced more than 1.3 million people to flee their homes.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR