18 jihadists killed by Burkina Faso police

PTI, Nov 21, 2019, 10:46 AM IST

Ouagadougou: Burkina Faso authorities said 18 “terrorists” were killed when they attempted to attack a police base in the north of the country, where security services have been struggling to quell a rising jihadist revolt.

“The attackers were repulsed thanks to a prompt response,” police said in a statement after Wednesday’s assault in Arbinda, Soum Province.

One police officer was killed and seven officers were injured, the statement added.

Weapons, motorcycles and GPS equipment belonging to the jihadists were recovered from the scene.

It comes after the Burkina Faso army said it had killed 32 “terrorists” last week in two operations in the north of the impoverished and politically fragile Sahel country.

The country’s badly equipped, poorly trained and underfunded security forces have been unable to stem jihadist violence, which has intensified throughout 2019 to become almost daily.

Attacks have been claimed by a range of jihadist groups, including Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The Sahel region, including Burkina Faso’s neighbors Mali and Niger, has been afflicted by the violence despite the presence of the regional G5 Sahel force as well as troops from the US and former colonial power France.