OUAGADOUGOU: Suspected militants carried out two separate attacks in the north and west of Burkina Faso, resulting in the deaths of 22 civilians, according to security and local sources on Saturday.
In the troubled north, 16 civilians who were volunteer auxiliaries supporting the army were killed on Friday, as reported by a security source. The attackers also suffered some losses during the incident. A resident mentioned that two other civilians lost their lives in the assault, which took place in a village near Boulsa, the main town in the Namentenga province.
The attackers also set fire to homes, motorcycles, and the local market. In the town of Fo in the west, a second security source confirmed that four civilians from another volunteer auxiliary group were killed in a separate attack on Friday. Fo has been a frequent target for militants in recent weeks, resulting in a mass exodus of its inhabitants.
Militant Insurgency in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has been grappling with a militant insurgency that originated from neighboring Mali in 2015. The military’s failure to effectively combat the insurgency has led to unrest within the armed forces, culminating in two coups last year. These coups ultimately led to the rise of Ibrahim Traore, a young army captain, as the country’s leader in September.
The violence in Burkina Faso has claimed the lives of over 10,000 civilians, troops, and police, as reported by an NGO. Additionally, the conflict has forced at least two million people to flee their homes.
Excerpt: Burkina Faso has been grappling with a militant insurgency that originated from neighboring Mali in 2015. The military’s failure to effectively combat the insurgency has led to unrest within the armed forces, culminating in two coups last year.
