30 terrorists, 5 soldiers killed in Burkina Faso clash

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 30 terrorists were killed in an attack early Saturday against a military detachment in northcentral Burkina Faso, according to the army.

The army said five soldiers were and 10 others injured during the clash.

The military detachment of Bourzanga in Bam province, Center-North Region, “vigorously retaliated” an attack against its base, is said in a statement.

“Coming in very large numbers and heavily equipped, the terrorists had to retreat before the firepower of the detachment members and the intervention of the air force,” it said. “Search and security operations continue in the area to find the terrorists, some of them wounded, and disappeared into the civilian population to try to escape the pursuit of the military.”

The army said several ammunitions, about 30 motorcycles, an armored vehicle and communication gargets and armed pickups, used by the terrorists to attack the base were seized.

Burkina Faso has been battling an insurgency that has spread from neighboring Mali in the last decade.

Saturday’s attack came days after 11 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded Thursday in an attack on the Madjoari military detachment in the east.