Burkina forces kill 3 suspected terrorists in early morning raid

Burkina Faso security forces killed three suspected terrorists and arrested one more on Tuesday morning in an operation on the outskirts of the capital Ouagadougou, state television reported.

One gendarme was killed in the fighting in the Rayongo neighbourhood, while five people, including one civilian, were injured, the report said.

“The Special Intervention Unit of the National Gendarmerie (USIGN) conducted an operation during the night of May 21 to 22 to dislodge suspected terrorists in the Ragnongo district,” according to a statement released by the security forces.

Long spared by armed groups active in the Sahel, Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been facing increasingly frequent and deadly attacks since 2015.

In March, the army headquarters and French embassy in Ouagadougou were attacked, leaving eight dead and 85 injured.

Northern Burkina Faso, bordering Mali, regularly experiences abductions and attacks perpetrated by jihadist groups against state representatives.

The Ansarul Islam jihadist group has claimed responsibility for several attacks against the Burkinabe army, including one that killed 12 soldiers in December 2016 in Nassoumbou.

A force called G5 Sahel, associating Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, was formed to fight against active jihadist groups that remain very active in the Sahel.