8 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
At least 44 civilians have been killed in attacks by “terrorist” armed groups in the towns of Kourakou and Tondobi, in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, Burkinabe authorities have reported.
The attackers arrived in the area on the night from Thursday to Friday and have already been “neutralized”, as explained by the Army in a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Rodolphe Sorgho and collected by the pan-African news portal Wakat Séra.
The provincial government denounces this “despicable and barbaric attack” and reports 31 deaths in Kourakou and 13 more in Tondobi, to which must be added injuries and material damage.
The official statement also reports an offensive led by the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and invites the population to register as “Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland” to participate in the defense of their respective towns.
Burkinabe forces have increased anti-terrorist operations in recent weeks, especially in the north and east of the country. The head of the military junta, Ibrahim Traoré, stressed at the end of March that the authorities are working “for the reconquest of the territory” and “the return of peace.”
Burkina Faso has seen a sharp increase in jihadist attacks in recent years, the work of both al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates in the region. Abuses by the security forces against the population have helped these groups in their recruitment efforts.
