Army forces drive near Hotel Splendid where the attackers remain with sporadic gunfire continuing in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou on January 15, 2016 © Ahmed Ouoba / AFP
36 civilians were killed when a “terrorist group” attacked two villages in Burkina Faso’s northern region, the country’s government announced on January 21.
Unknown militants attacked and burned the market in the village of Nagraogo and a civilian gathering in the village of Alamou in the province of Sanmatenga.
Burkina Faso’s President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore ,announced a two-day period of mourning for the victims of the terrorist attack, during which flags will be flown at half-mast and festivals will be prohibited.
In its official statement, the country’s government called on locals to collaborate with the authorities to put an end to terrorist attacks. The Parliament had passed a law allowing for the recruitment of local volunteers in the fight against jihadists.
“These repeated attacks on innocent civilians call for real cooperation between defense and security forces,” the government’s statement reads, according to DW.
Several small groups affiliated with al-Qaeda or ISIS carried out a number of attacks against civilian and military targets in Burkina Faso in recent months.
Last November, 37 people working for a Canadian mining company were ambushed and killed by dozens of Jihadists in the country’s eastern region.
These terrorists have to hole up some where. The locals will never be rid of them if they continue to be quiet and accept their lot. It’s dangerous to defy terrorists, but it will be deadly to allow these people to run amok.
Blow the whistle on this scum, call in professional help, and do everyone a favour.
What about kicking US/French military bases and presence OUT of the country. These terrorists cannot survive or live without support from upper circles, as we have seen in Syria, Iraq, Libya..