The Burkina Faso Army confirms heavy fighting in the last few hours against terrorist groups in the north

18 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Burkina Faso Army has confirmed this Saturday the outbreak in the last few hours of heavy fighting between its forces and terrorist groups in the north of the country.

The military is repelling an attack carried out in the province of Oualan, between the towns of Oursi and Deou and so far no support has been able to reach the place of hostilities, according to the military statement collected by the Le Faso news portal.

At the moment there is evidence of an unknown number of injured who are receiving medical treatment in nearby centers.

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.