Burkina Faso: At least seven dead in attacks attributed to jihadists

In total seven people died in attacks which were noted in Burkina Faso, as the army announced on Saturday. Specifically, four soldiers were killed after an improvised explosive device explodedwhile three civilians were killed in another attack in the northern part of the country.

In the first case, a military force was ambushed on her way back from Jibo, where she was escorting a convoy of humanitarian aid for the residents of the city besieged by the jihadists. It was bombed on the Burzanga-Kongushi road, killing four soldiers.

The same day, gunmen stormed Phalangutu town (northeast) and “three civilians killed” during the attack, a security official told AFP. “The jihadists returned with reinforcements on Saturday and attacked members of the VDP (Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland) militia who were organizing to secure control of the area.”a former Phalangutu elected official told AFP without giving an account of the latest attack.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been increasingly hit by jihadist attacks, which have claimed thousands of lives and forced nearly two million residents to flee their homes. These attacks have multiplied in recent months, mainly in the northern and eastern parts of the country.

Captain Ibrahim Traore, who was sworn in on October 21st as interim president by the constitutional council following the September 30th military coup that ousted Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Santogo Dhamiba, has stated that his goal is “to recover the territories that they have seized hordes of terrorists”.

Responding to Traore’s call, more than 90,000 volunteers came forward to join the VDP militia to bolster the army’s fight against the jihadists.