Several dozen people, including civilians and security personnel, have been killed in an attack by armed terrorists in Burkina Faso, according to local and security sources. The assault took place in the village of Barsalogho, located in the north-central region of the country, on Saturday.
The attack is the latest in a long-running insurgency by groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which has plagued Burkina Faso since 2015. This violence has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over two million people across the nation.
A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that to AFP that several dozen people had been killed, and many more were injured. The injured were rushed to a hospital in the regional capital, Kaya, located approximately 45 kilometres away from the site of the attack.
The attack remains unclaimed by any group, but local sources indicate that the victims included many young civilians who had volunteered to assist soldiers in digging trenches around the town as a defence measure against potential terrorist attacks.
Despite the heavy toll, a second security source noted that the response from soldiers and auxiliary troops managed to neutralise several of the attackers, preventing an even greater tragedy.
In the aftermath, Kaya’s largest medical centre received more than 100 injured victims, overwhelming the hospital. An internal memo from the centre urged all medical personnel to report to work immediately to handle the “emergency influx of patients.”
Burkina Faso has been in turmoil since a coup in September 2022, after which the new leaders expelled French troops and diplomats, opting instead for military assistance from Russia as the nation continues its fight against insurgent forces.