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August 19, 2021 – 11:42

The government of Burkina Faso has announced that suspected jihadists have killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, in an attack on a convoy.

In the incident that happened on Wednesday, 14 soldiers and three volunteers of the security forces were killed. Soldiers and militia were “guarding civilians heading for Arbinda”, another town north of Burkina Faso, the statement said.

In the clashes, security forces killed 58 “terrorists”.

The attack took place in the Gorgadji region, an area known for such incidents. In this part is the border of Burkina Faso with Mali and Nigeria. All three countries have a presence of Islamic militants.

Wednesday’s attack was the third in two weeks against Burkina Faso soldiers.

Burkina Faso, a poor country, has faced increasingly frequent and deadly attacks since 2015 by jihadists linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda group.

These attacks along with inter-community violence have left more than 1,400 people dead and 1.3 million have been forced to flee their homes, according to official estimates. / rel