An attack on army and volunteer defense forces in northern Burkina Faso on April 15 left 40 people dead—eight soldiers and 32 civilian volunteers—with 33 others wounded, the West African nation’s transitional leadership confirmed in a statement.
The government said the attack was carried out by “unidentified armed men” in Aorema village in the Yatenga province near the border with Mali. The area is overrun by fighters linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS militants.
The detachment that came under attack was reportedly deployed to maintain security at an aerodrome found in Ouahigouya, the provincial capital.
At least 50 attackers were killed, 30 others wounded, and equipment destroyed in the reprisal attack that followed, the army said in an April 16 statement seen by The Epoch Times….