A soldier has been killed and at least 28 "terrorists neutralised" in two military operations in the north and east of Burkina Faso, the army said Monday.

The landlocked Sahel state is in the grip of a seven-year-old insurgency that has claimed more than 2,000 lives and forced some 1.9 million people to leave their homes.

The fighting has been concentrated in the north and east, led by jihadists suspected to have links with Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group.

The army announced that on Sunday troops launched a counter-offensive after rebel harassment around the northern town of Sebba.

Two rebel bases were dismantled and several clashes took place, leaving "at least 18" dead, as well as one soldier, a statement said.

Also on Sunday, special forces backed by the air force laid assault to a "major terrorist base" near Soam in the east.

"The base was totally destroyed and at least 10 terrorists were neutralised," the statement said, meaning they were killed.

"Others fled and are now being pursued by deployed units," it added.

Weapons, vehicles and communication equipment were recovered, according to the army, which urged people to "strengthen cooperation with the defence and security forces by informing on terrorists who try to melt into their midst".

With more than 40 percent of the country outside government control, Burkina's ruling junta, which seized power in January, has declared the fight against the raging insurgency a top priority.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Togo repels 'terrorist' attack: official
Lome (AFP) Aug 23, 2022
Togo's armed forces said Tuesday they had repelled a "terrorist" attack that injured "several" soldiers in the far northern village of Blamonga on the border with Burkina Faso. The attack, which took place on Monday, was the fifth in the country since last year, as jihadist groups operating in the Sahel appear to be gradually heading towards coastal West Africa. "At around 22:00 GMT, security forces from operation Koundjoare were once again victim of a complex attack involving an improvised expl ... read more