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At least 11 police officers were killed during a terrorist attack in eastern Burkina Faso over the weekend, according to security sources on Wednesday.
The assault took place in Balga, a locality in Gourma province within the country’s East Region, where a police detachment was overrun by a large group of armed fighters, a security source said.
Seven officers reportedly died during the initial attack, while four others later succumbed to their injuries. The attack was subsequently claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked militant organisation.
Another security source confirmed the incident, noting that there were fatalities and missing persons, though no detailed figures were provided.
Under new directives from the security command, the bodies of the fallen officers were buried at the scene, as authorities no longer permit the transfer of remains to Ouagadougou or other locations.
Following the attack, police units reportedly withdrew from Balga to the nearby town of Diapangou.
Burkina Faso has faced persistent violence from terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State since 2015.
Although the military-led government under Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup, claims to have regained control of much of the country, attacks continue.
Conflict monitoring group ACLED estimates that tens of thousands of civilians and security personnel have been killed since the insurgency began, with more than half of the deaths occurring within the past three years
