15 civilians were killed in the jihadist attack
The eastern part of the country is a victim of regular attacks, causing more than 2 million internally displaced people.
Displaced families flee jihadist attacks in Kampala, near Ouagadougou, on October 6, 2022, in northern and eastern Burkina Faso.
ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP
An attack by suspected jihadists in eastern Burkina Faso killed 15 civilians on Wednesday, security and local sources told AFP, citing a “mass exodus” of residents fleeing incursions by armed groups.
A local official told AFP that an early morning attack in Zorga, located near Pokande, the capital of Gnagna province in the eastern region, “claimed the lives of around fifteen people, including women”. “The assailants attacked the village early in the morning, riding on motorcycles and injuring several people who were evacuated to Pokande,” the same source continued.
Another local resident confirmed the figure of “fifteen deaths” and pointed out that “the terrorists also burnt houses and dining rooms before disappearing”. “Since this morning, Sorka’s people have started running towards Pokande, just like Nindango”, a neighboring village, “which is experiencing a mass exodus of its citizens for fear of attack,” he added.
The attack was confirmed by security sources, who said “security operations are ongoing” in the area, located in the eastern region, “particularly targeted by infiltrations by armed groups in recent days”.
More than 10,000 people died
At least 71 people, including 31 soldiers and 40 civilian military aides, were killed on Monday in three attacks by suspected jihadists, two of the deadliest in North Central Province, the military and sources said.
Burkina Faso, which has been gripped by a spiral of jihadist violence since 2015, has been in power since late September 2022 under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Drare, his second term in eight months.
On Saturday, several thousand people demonstrated in more than a dozen cities across the country, including the capital of the eastern region, Fada N’Kourma, to support the interim authorities and demand a new constitution.
Non-governmental organizations say the violence has killed more than 10,000 civilians and soldiers in the past eight years, and displaced more than two million people internally.
AFP/Tamina Wiki
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