Soldiers killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Abidjan –  An attack claimed by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists killed at least a dozen soldiers in northern Burkina Faso at the weekend, security and local sources told AFP on Tuesday.

The junta-ruled west African country has been plagued by violence from militants allied to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group for more than a decade.

On February 28, members of the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), affiliated to Al-Qaeda, launched a new attack on the key town of Titao, a security source in the region told AFP.

“There are more than a dozen dead,” the source said.

The troops had been digging trenches around the town to protect it from attacks at the time of the assault, the source added.

Another security source confirmed the attack, noting there had been “significant material damage”.

A local resident told AFP they could hear shots being fired Saturday through Monday in the vicinity of Titao, targeting the army, not civilians.

JNIM claimed the attack on Monday, putting the toll at 30 Burkinabe soldiers killed.

Several civilians were killed in an earlier attack on the town in mid-February.

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