At least civilian auxiliaries and four soldiers were killed on Wednesday (March 22nd) in an attack near Kaya, in northern Burkina Faso, where the president of the transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, is visiting, local authorities reported on Thursday. Agence France-Presse (AFP) security and local sources.
“Early in the morning of Wednesday, terrorist groups attacked a mixed unit of soldiers and volunteers for the defense of the homeland (VDP, civilian auxiliaries) in Zorkum »a town located about ten kilometers from Kaya, a security source told AFP. “We deplore on the friendly side four soldiers and a dozen fallen volunteers. On the enemy side, around twenty terrorists were neutralized., said this source. Confirming the attack, another security source mentioned “several losses among the defense elements”without, however, mentioning a precise assessment.
The unit targeted in Zorkoum was tasked with securing repairs to the water supply facilities in the town of Kaya, which were regularly sabotaged by armed men, a local official told AFP, also confirming the offensive.
“Integral Determination”
Arrived Wednesday morning in the city of Kaya for 48 hours, Captain Ibrahim Traoré went to the scene of the attack ” a few hours later “For “Salute the bravery of the elements who succeeded in repelling the attack by inflicting enormous losses on them”said a senior security source.
“Yesterday morning when we came (in Kaya), the enemy decided to welcome us in a rather spectacular way. Maybe he thought it was going to affect our morale to discourage us. But no ! He only encourages us to go towards him, towards the fight “the president said Thursday.
“Today we can be attacked, of course, but they cannot leave safe and sound. And in the near future, we want to do everything we can so that we can’t be attacked.”, he added. Captain Traoré, who came to power in a putsch almost six months ago, announced in February his “intact determination” to fight the jihadists, despite the multiplication of attacks.
Eleven civilians, including five army auxiliaries, were killed on Sunday and Monday in several attacks by suspected jihadists in the center-east and east of the country, according to local and security sources. Since 2015, Burkina has been caught in a spiral of violence perpetrated by jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State (IS) organization and Al-Qaeda, which have killed 10,000 people in all – civilians and soldiers – according to NGOs, and some two million displaced.