Clashes with militants kill 53 Burkina Faso soldiers and volunteers, army says

Seventeen soldiers and 36 volunteer fighters have been killed in heavy clashes with militants in northern Burkina Faso, the army has said. It is the worst attack in months in the west African country that has been fighting hardline militants for years.

Burkina Faso has been battling armed groups, some with links to al-Qaida and Islamic State, in its northern desert region since 2015.

Attacks have worsened this year, making the country the centre of a violent movement that has also engulfed neighbouring Mali and Niger, killing thousands of people and forcing millions from their homes. Efforts by the army to retake areas have often led to huge increases in violence.

The latest fighting in Burkina Faso took place on Monday in Yatenga province, where the army has been trying to reconquer territory to allow displaced villagers to return home, the army’s statement said. Operations were still under way in the area at the time of reporting.

There were two military coups in Burkina Faso last year. After the second one, in October, Burkina Faso ordered French forces to leave amid growing tension between the junta and Paris.

Short on troops and supplies, Burkina Faso’s rulers have turned increasingly to volunteer defence forces to help. These armed civilians, who help police the rural north, are frequently caught up in deadly assaults, including one in April when 34 people were killed in a raid.

The junta has looked to Russia to fill the void left by France’s exit. A Russian delegation held talks with Burkina Faso’s interim president, Ibrahim Traoré, last week at a meeting that included discussions on possible military cooperation.