Security Sources: Burkina troops and allied militia members were killed in attacks

According to security reports, dozens of Burkinabe soldiers and affiliated volunteer militia members have been slain in strikes carried out by alleged Islamists.

Burkina Faso, one of the poorest and most unstable nations in the world, is contending with a jihadist insurgency that rushed in from Mali’s neighboring country in 2015.

According to the government, over a third of the nation is ungoverned. In response to the escalating security issue, the VDP, a group of civilian volunteers who receive two weeks of military training, was established.

Alongside the army, they perform tasks including surveillance, intelligence collecting, and escorting.

According to a security source, “terrorist groups attacked the village of Noaka” in the north-central region, “mainly targeting the VDP,” and “another attack targeted troops returning from escort duty in the Sahel region.”

The source continued, “Unfortunately, we have recorded several dozen dead, soldiers and volunteers,” which was a statement that was corroborated by a local VDP officer.

Numerous individuals were wounded and dozens were killed at Noaka. Other fighters are still missing in action, he said AFP, adding that commanders would provide an exact count later.

“A slaughter”

One local described the incident as “a massacre,” noting that only the attack had claimed the lives of roughly 30 VDP fighters.

The brave warriors, assisted by the army, “also inflicted a heavy loss on the attackers,” he added, adding that “several motorcycles and weapons were recovered.”

According to an NGO figure, since the beginning of the jihadist attacks, at than 10,000 civilians, soldiers, and police have killed along with at least 2 million people who have been displaced.

Two coups in Burkina Faso last year were triggered by frustration among the military over failures to quell the insurgency.

About 40 terrorists were neutralized thanks to the military’ quick response. These places are the subject of security operations and sweeps, according to a second security source.

A lesser attack that killed four members of the volunteer force occurred on Monday in Gayeri, in the eastern province of Komondjari, according to the local VDP official.

Residents of Tanwalbougou, an eastern town that has been under armed group blockade for several weeks, had protested the same day against the rise in terrorist attacks and demanded supplies for their community.