Militant extremists suspected of jihadist ties claim lives of 22 troops and militiamen in Burkina Faso attack

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At least 22 soldiers and civilian militia were killed in suspected attacks by extremists at the weekend in northern Burkina Faso, security sources told AFP on Tuesday.

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Around 14 military personnel and seven civilian army volunteers were killed at a military base in Di, near Dedougou, on Saturday morning, while there were several deaths at Solhan, two sources said.

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One described “heavy human and material losses”, without elaborating.

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Burkina Faso has been led by a military junta since September 2022 but has been battling deadly offensives by jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group for more than a decade.

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The military has brought in civilians to help them in the fight but they have paid a high price.

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A police source said there was a third attack on Sunday targeting a military post in Seguenega, near Kaya in the north-central region.

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“These assaults in different regions were carefully coordinated to inflict the greatest possible losses but the vigorous response on all sides succeeded in thwarting all these attacks,” they added.

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“Since Saturday, the response and pursuit conducted in coordination with the high command made it possible to neutralise several dozen terrorists and to recover various military equipment and logistical resources.”

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AFP

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