The military disclosed on Tuesday that more than 50 security forces personnel had been killed and others sustained injuries in a fierce battle with terrorists in northern Burkina Faso. The military announced in a statement that 17 troops and 30 volunteers who offered assistance to the army were slain on Monday in Koumbri, Yatenga region. Several dozen Islamist terrorists were also killed, according to the military, as part of an effort to force the jihadists out of Koumbri so that individuals who fled the area could return.
"This act of extreme cowardice will not go unpunished," the statement read. Every attempt is being made to eliminate the terrorists who are still hidden." The West African country has been wiped out by terrorist assaults linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, which have killed thousands, displaced over 2 million people, and forced commodities.
Violence has broken down a once-peaceful nation, culminating in two coups last year and a rise in attacks in and around the city, of Ouagadougou. According to conflict analysts, over half of the nation is out of government authority.
According to investigations by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the number of individuals killed by jihadists has nearly quadrupled since the first coup in January 2022."This violence, coupled with the geographical spread of extremist activity around Ouagadougou, is pushing Burkina Faso to the brink of collapse more than ever," the study concluded. A spokesperson for the organization has said, the jihadists also blocked off more than two dozen communities, preventing almost a million people from easily obtaining food, supplies, and free movement.
According to Policy Centre for New South researcher Rida Lyammouri, Monday's death was one of the largest since Captain Ibrahim Traore got back to power in a second coup in September and targeted one of the major armed groups. "While state forces are attempting to retake certain areas and create an environment conducive to the return of displaced people," he said, "this situation adds pressure." to other major regional cities, such as the regional capital, Ouhigouya." "This shows the challenges that state forces are facing and will face in the coming months."
Human rights groups and analysts have accused security forces of executing citizens suspected of being affiliated with militants.
According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the number of people murdered by the army or volunteers has more than quadrupled to 762 since the first coup a year and a half ago. Earlier this year, security personnel in Burkina Faso were determined to be guilty of the deaths of children at a military camp near the town of Ouahigouya.
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