The army reported that 33 troops were slain in an attack on Thursday in eastern Burkina Faso by suspected terrorists.
According to an army statement, a contingent of troops encountered “a complex, large-scale attack” in the east that also left 12 soldiers wounded.
During the “particularly intense fighting,” the soldiers “neutralized at least 40 terrorists before the arrival of reinforcements,” it claimed.
The army reported that the wounded soldiers were evacuated and receiving medical attention.
Since 2015, when turmoil from neighboring Mali spilled over, Burkina Faso has been battling a violent jihadist insurgency.
Thousands of people have been detained and millions of people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to fighting between security forces and organizations affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
Two coups were started in 2022 as a result of military resentment about the government’s failure to stop the Islamist attacks. The territory of the nation is not under state control to the extent of about 40%.
Captain Ibrahim Traore, who has been in charge of the country since assuming the presidency in September of last year, signed a proclamation this month calling for a yearlong “general mobilization” to provide the government with “all necessary means” to fight the terrorists.
