Burkina mourned by a new attack, 40 soldiers and auxiliaries killed
Location of Aoréma, Burkina Faso. © RFI
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In Burkina Faso, forty people, including 6 soldiers and 34 Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP) were killed following an attack on Saturday 15 April in the Northern region. Unidentified gunmen attacked the military detachment in Aoréma village.
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About thirty wounded were treated at the regional university center. According to Governor Kouilga Alber Zongo, "their condition is stable".
It was the military and Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) detachment, located 15 kilometres from Ouahigouya, that was the target of this attack. Their base is located at the city's airfield.
According to the governor of the region, the assault took place on Saturday afternoon, around 16 p.m. local time. The military and VDP "were surprised by heavy weapons fire as they returned from their mission," said a source on the spot.
The attack comes as the Burkinabe armed forces have launched a major operation in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, which borders the northern region.
Called "Kapidougou" (the hive), this anti-terrorist offensive mobilizes nearly 800 fighters as well as ground and air assets. It is also a joint operation with the Malian armed forces sweeping across the border.
► Read also Burkina Faso: what implies the general mobilization decreed by the authorities
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- Burkina Faso
- Defense