Violent conflict in Burkina Faso: 51 soldiers and 160 terrorists killed So many people live in every corner of the world

In Burkina Faso, West Africa, gunmen have killed at least 51 soldiers in one of their worst attacks to date, the military said.

The army then “neutralized about 160 terrorists and destroyed their equipment” in airstrikes, the general staff said Monday night. Armed groups are active in the Sahel country with about 21 million inhabitants, some of which have sworn allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State or the terrorist network Al-Qaeda.

The attack took place on Friday in the Oudalan region in the northern tip of the country, which borders the states of Mali and Niger, which are also terrorized by Islamist extremists. The army announced that a unit had become “the target of a complex attack” on a street. After eight deaths were initially reported, another 43 bodies were found over the course of Monday. The information could not be independently verified.

The land in the Sahel zone, which is impoverished despite rich gold reserves, also suffers from drought and hunger crises. Interim President Ibrahim Traoré has ruled the unstable state since a military coup in September. Until this month, the former colonial power France had stationed some 400 soldiers in Burkina Faso to help the army against groups that are attacking deeper into the country. However, at the request of Traoré’s government, France is currently withdrawing its armed forces. (sda/dpa)