Burkina Faso’s president has declared three days of national mourning after suspected jihadists killed 47 people, including 30 civilians, in an attack in the north of the country.
“A mixed convoy composed of civilians, elements of the defense and security forces (FDS) and volunteers for the defense of the homeland (VDP) was the target of a terrorist attack 25 km from Gorgadji (North), during which 30 civilians, 14 soldiers, and 3 VDP were killed,” announced the Burkinabe Ministry of Communication.
This attack is the third in a series that has left more than a dozen dead in two weeks against soldiers engaged in the anti-jihadist struggle in the north and northwest of Burkina Faso.
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Burkina Faso has been plagued with increasingly frequent and deadly attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda. According to official estimates, these attacks along with inter-communal violence have left more than 1,400 people dead and forced 1.3 million to flee their homes.
