According to a statement from the army, at least 15 soldiers were killed on Tuesday in northern Burkina Faso when a transport vehicle plowed over a hidden explosive, killing some soldiers before a second explosion killed those who tried to help them.
The incident took place on a rural road in the Bam province in the Central North region of the country, where soldiers and civilians are frequently targeted by Islamist insurgents.
Organizations associated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State have operated in the area since 2015 causing widespread insecurity in the Country.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The assault occurs less than a week after Islamist militants ambushed a vehicle in the Bam province, where they killed nine civilian army volunteers in addition to four soldiers.
In January 2022, army officers upset by the increasing attacks overthrew Burkina Faso’s president and vowed to strengthen security, but the level of violence has remained high.
In Burkina Faso alone, more than 1.85 million people have been displaced as a result of the violence, which has also resulted in thousands of deaths throughout the Sahel region of West Africa.
