APA-Ouagadoudou (Burkina Faaso) The attack was claimed by the ‘Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans (Islam and Muslims Support Group, GSIM).
Speaking from Gaoua in the south-west of the country, the President of the Transition commented on the jihadist attack on the military detachment and the town of Djibo (North).
“Enemies of the Nation wanted to put us into mourning (…) Last weekend (Sunday), what we experienced in Djibo was an attack on an unprecedented scale,” said Captain Ibrahim Traore.
He noted that the attackers were routed thanks to “the fighting spirit of the men who were there, and the important decisions that were taken.”
Captain Traore went on to point out that “the war is in full swing,” and that we need to “prepare for any eventuality,” as it is not out of the question that the terrorists could reunite to strike a blow against Burkina.
“The fight is tough and the battle will be long,” Captain Ibrahim Traore declared, adding that “Those who fight us, they prevent us from living. But we are here to give life to Burkina Faso.”
That’s why, he insisted, “they will always try, in 1,000 ways, but in no way will they be able to make Burkina bend.”
On Sunday, according to the state-run media, “more than 400 terrorists (were) decimated during a counter-offensive by the Burkinabe Armed Forces against nearly 3,000 criminals who tried to seize the town of Djibo”.
The ‘Groupe de Soutien à l’Islam et aux Musulmans’ (Islam and Muslims Support Group), which claimed responsibility for the assault, denied the death toll reported by media close to the government, acknowledging only “a few dozen deaths” in its ranks.
For almost a decade, Burkina Faso has been facing a jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced several million. This insecurity led to two coups d’Etat in 2022.
SD/ac/fss/abj/APA