At least 47 people were killed in a jihadist attack

A jihadist attack on military forces in northern Burkina Faso on Wednesday, August 18 killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, fourteen soldiers and three military aides.

“A mixed vehicle carrying volunteers for the protection of the Civil Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the Homeland Security (VDP) was the target of a terrorist attack 25 km from Gorkatji (north), killing 30 civilians, 14 soldiers and 3 VDPs.Burkina Faso Ministry of Communications announced.

Burkina Faso President Roche Marc Christian Cabore ordered a three-day national mourning period on Thursday to pay tribute to the 47 people killed.

“During this period, popular celebrations and entertainment events are banned in all public buildings and abroad by representatives of Burkina Faso (…)., According to the text.

Three boundary area

Korkatzi’s commune is located in the province of Sano in northern Burkina Faso. This area, known as the Three Borders, Mali and Niger, have been the hardest hit by the violence. Dead, civilians and soldiers, thousands.

19 people were injured in the attack “When the security forces and the VDP were engaged in the task of protecting civilians going to Arbinda”, According to the government. During the response, the SDF and VDP killed 58 terrorists and many more were wounded and fled., According to the same source, refers to it “Relief and field operations continue”.

This is the third attack in a series that has killed more than a dozen people every two weeks against anti-jihadi fighters in the north and northwest of Burkina Faso.

On August 4, thirty, Fifteen soldiers, including eleven civilians and four military aides, were killed in a suspected jihadist attack in northern Burkina Faso near the Niger border.

On August 9, 12 soldiers were killed and 8 wounded in an attack near the border with northwestern Burkina Faso, Mali.

On Wednesday, five civilian aides were killed in an attack in the north of the country.

Burkina Faso, a poor country in West Africa, has been plagued by regular and deadly jihadi attacks since 2015, especially in the north and east, as well as its neighbors Mali and Niger.

Frequent ambush attacks by the Islamic State (IS) group and al-Qaeda-linked jihadist groups have killed more than 1,500 people and forced more than 1.3 million people to flee their homes.