Ouagadougou, Apr 17 (IANS): At least 40 people were killed and 33 others wounded in an attack against a military detachment in northern Burkina Faso, said the government.
According to a statement by the general secretary of the North region on Sunday, a military detachment based in the vicinity of the village of Aorema, located not far from the city of Ouahigouya, was attacked by unidentified gunmen on Saturday.
The provisional toll is 40 dead, including six soldiers and 34 army auxiliaries, said the statement, adding that 33 wounded were also recorded, Xinhua news agency reported.
A security source told Xinhua over the phone that "at least 50 terrorists were neutralised" during the attack.
Since 2015, insecurity in the West African country has claimed many lives and displaced thousands more.