Burkina Faso’s interim government issued a statement saying that at least 35 civilians were killed and 37 injured when a vehicle in a convoy hit an improvised explosive device (IED).
The escorted supply convoy hit the IED between the northern towns of Djibo and Bourzanga. This is an area where Islamist militants have increased attacks on villages, police and military outposts since 2015. The convoy was heading to the capital, Ouagadougou.
“Escorts rapidly secured the perimeter and took measures to assist the victims,” the military government said in a statement.
West Africa’s Sahel has seen groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State gain ground. These Islamists have murdered thousands and displaced over a million people despite the presence of foreign troops and United Nations peacekeeping forces on the ground.
Burkina Faso’s ex-president Roch Kabore was deposed in a military coup in January after frustrations boiled over due to continuous Islamist attacks.
