At least 15 soldiers killed in clashes with suspected terrorists in northern Burkina Faso

MADRID, 22 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

At least 15 Burkina Faso soldiers died last Monday after an ambush carried out by suspected terrorists in the north of the country, near the Mali border, bringing the number of soldiers killed in the last four days to almost 70.

As detailed by sources from the Burkinabe military detachment in the Tin Akoff province to the newspaper 'L'Observateur Paalga', between 15 and 19 soldiers lost their lives on February 20 during an attack perpetrated by suspected jihadists. In addition, dozens of soldiers would be missing.

This attack takes place just four days after the Burkina Faso Army reported the death of 160 "terrorists" and 51 soldiers in an ambush carried out by armed militia last Friday between Deou and Oursi, in the province of Oudalan.

Burkina Faso, ruled by a military junta since the January 2022 coup against then-president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, has experienced increased insecurity since 2015.

The junta is now headed by Ibrahim Traoré, who led a coup in September that was considered a "palace coup" against the until then leader, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

The continuous attacks in the country, carried out by both the Al Qaeda affiliate and the Islamic State affiliate in the region, have also contributed to an increase in inter-communal violence and have caused self-defense groups to flourish, to which the Burkinabe government has added to 'volunteers'.

The deterioration of security has caused a wave of internally displaced persons and refugees to other countries in the region.