At least 12 people, including soldiers and civilians, were killed in two separate attacks in conflict-ridden eastern region of Burkina Faso, security and local sources told AFP on Monday.
The West African nation has been battling insurgents for the past decade, with violence claiming an estimated 26,000 lives, including both military personnel and civilians. The ongoing conflict has also displaced more than two million people, according to UN refugee agency data from March 2023.
The first attack took place on 14 March, when hundreds of militants stormed a police detachment in Yamba, a town near Fada N’Gourma, the regional capital.
“The toll is heavy. There are more than a dozen dead and several injured,” a police source told AFP, noting that the casualties primarily included police officers and members of a volunteer security force assisting the military.
A second police source confirmed the attack but reported a higher death toll, stating that 16 people had been killed. The following day, another attack in Foutouri, a town near the Niger border, resulted in multiple civilian deaths.
Burkina Faso has struggled to contain the spread of violence, which has destabilised the Sahel region and led to a severe humanitarian crisis.
