Africa-Press. Security sources confirmed to Agence France-Presse that at least 11 police officers were killed in recent days during an attack carried out by armed assailants in eastern Burkina Faso.
The agency cited a security source stating that in the early hours of Sunday, January 18, several hundred militants attacked the “Balga detachment,” a location in the Diabango commune in Gourma province, in the eastern region.
“Seven police officers were killed in the attack, and four others later died from their injuries,” the source added, noting that the final death toll of 11 involved only police officers.
A group affiliated with Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack on the same day, without providing further details.
Since 2015, Burkina Faso, located in the African Sahel, has experienced repeated attacks by armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS across much of its territory.
Another security official confirmed the attack to AFP, mentioning “casualties and missing persons,” without giving further details.
He added: “All victims were buried on site in Balga, in accordance with new command directives that no longer allow bodies to be transferred to Ouagadougou or other cities.”
