Burkina Faso’s army has confirmed that more than 50 soldiers were killed in an attack by suspected Islamists in the country’s north on Friday.
According to a statement, 51 bodies have been discovered thus far, several soldiers are still missing, and three wounded soldiers have been evacuated from the scene.
The military had previously stated that eight people had died in what it described as intense fighting in Oudalan province.
It claimed to have killed more than 100 assailants, though this figure has not been independently verified.
- On his first foreign trip, Burkina Faso’s junta chief holds talks in Mali.
- Burkina Faso establishes a government on a “war footing.”
Fighting in northern Burkina Faso has increased this year, with more than 100 deaths reported in the first six weeks.
The failure to stem the bloodshed led to two coups last year and the ending of the French military mission to the country.
This incident was reported as France officially marked the end of its military operations in the country where French soldiers have been based since 2015 to help fight militants.
