Burkina Faso: Suspected attack by Islamic extremist rebels kills 16 soldiers
An attack by suspected Islamic extremist rebels on a military unit in Burkina Faso Friday has killed at least 16 security forces and injured many others, the army announced.
A dozen military soldiers and four volunteer fighters who work alongside the army died when their military unit was attacked at 5 a.m. in Namissiguima town in the Center North region, said a statement by the armed forces. An additional 21 soldiers were wounded and equipment was also damaged, said the statement.
Burkina Faso is grappling with rising jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that’s killed thousands and displaced some 2 million people.
This is the latest in a series against the military. At least 40 security forces were killed in the last two weeks of March according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by The Associated Press.