Suspected jihadists kill 33 Burkina Faso troops in 'a complex, large-scale attack', says army

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: As many as 33 soldiers were killed and 12 were injured after suspected jihadists attacked a contingent of troops in eastern Burkina Faso on Thursday, the army said. The troops came across “a complex, large-scale attack” in the East region, according to an army statement. The soldiers “neutralised at least 40 terrorists before the arrival of reinforcements” during the “particularly intense fighting”, the statement added. The army reported that the injured soldiers have been evacuated and are receiving medical attention. Burkina Faso has been grappling with a bloody jihadist insurgency since 2015, when unrest spilled over from neighbouring Mali. Fighting between the security forces and groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group has left thousands dead and forced millions of people to flee their homes. Anger within the military at the government’s failure to stem the jihadist attacks sparked two coups in 2022. Around 40 percent of the country’s territory lies outside state control. Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has led the West African nation since seizing power last September, this month signed a decree for a year-long “general mobilisation” to give the state “all necessary means” to counter the militants. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.