Over 120 confirmed dead in Burkina Faso terrorist attack

More than 120 people were killed in a terrorist attack and ensuing fighting in a remote area of Burkina Faso near the border with Mali, according to a government statement issued on Thursday night.

So far, 65 civilians and 58 jihadists are known to have been killed in the attack, which took place near the town of Arbinda, in the north of the country on Wednesday, it said.

Fierce gun battles between members of a terrorist militia and the army led to a blood bath. The country’s police said on Facebook on Thursday that they had routed some 400 jihadists.

In addition, security forces said they recovered large quantities of weapons and ammunition from the scene.

Armed groups are known to be active in the West African country, some of which have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State or Al-Qaeda.

Despite being spared attacks for many years, since 2015 Burkina Faso has seen a significant increase in militia terror. According to the United Nations, more than 1.2 million people have been internally displaced fleeing violence at the hands of Islamist militia groups.