The attack targeted the military detachment in Ougarou in the Est region of Burkina Faso.
An attack on a military base in eastern Burkina Faso left 33 soldiers dead and 12 others injured in the latest outbreak of violence in the West African country.
The besieged soldiers killed at least 40 “terrorists” on Thursday before reinforcements arrived, the army said in a statement. The attack targeted the military detachment in Ougarou in the Est region.
Burkina Faso’s armed forces have been fighting rebels since 2015.
It is estimated that more than 10,000 civilians and members of the security forces have died, while at least two million people have fled their homes. A third of the country is outside the control of the government.
The ongoing violence has sparked anger within the military, sparking two coups last year that led to the ascent of the current leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, in September.
He has promised to recapture lost ground, but attacks on security forces and civilians have worsened since the beginning of the year, leaving hundreds dead.
Traore has said he is committed to a plan by the previous military government to hold elections for a civilian government by 2024.
Alleged military massacre
This latest violence comes after the armed forces were accused of indiscriminately killing civilians during anti-insurgency missions.
In a statement issued by Communications Minister Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo on Thursday, the government expressed “particular concern over reports of killings, in circumstances that have yet to be clarified”.
It condemned “these unspeakable and barbaric acts” in the village of Karma in the north of the country, urging investigators to “shed light on the matter, which is abhorrent to the individual and collective conscience of all men and women who being in love with peace. , justice and freedom”.
Karma survivors and residents have issued a statement that more than 100 people were killed, describing hours of massacre by uniformed men.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has said that “at least 150 civilians” were killed in the attack.