The latest death toll from Monday’s raid by insurgents on an outpost of the Burkinabe military in the north of the country increased from ten to twenty-four soldiers, the army announced in a statement seen by APA on Tuesday.
“The update on developments of the National Armed Forces is as follows: twenty-four (24) soldiers killed, seven (7) wounded, five (5) still unaccounted for, as well as material damage,” noted the statement signed by the Director of Communication and Public Relations of the Armed Forces.
On Monday morning, insurgents attacked the Koutougou military outpost, a commune in Soum province, in the Sahel region, more than 200 km north of Ouagadougou.
In a retaliatory raid, the Burkinabe army carried out operations that killed 40 terrorists and destroyed 20 of their motorcycles, according to military sources cited by the Burkina news agency.
The Chief of General Staff of the Burkinabe Armed Forces said he sympathizes “deeply with the deep pain felt by the families of the victims at this particular moment, and invites our brave soldiers to remain determined,” the statement added.
According to the army, air and ground operations are continuing in the area.
It called on the populations of the areas concerned “to respect the security measures being taken.”
ALK/odl/cd/lb/as/APA