Suspected militants kill 13 soldiers in eastern Burkina Faso

By ARSENE KABORE
Associated Press

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso’s army says at least 13 soldiers were killed and eight others wounded in the eastern Gourma province in attacks by suspected Islamic extremists. The army said in a statement that several of the attackers were killed in the incident. It said that with air support, the military has secured the area. The army has for several days been carrying out large-scale operations to regain control of several areas that had been held by Islamic extremists. Burkina Faso’s military seized power in a coup in January, overthrowing President Roch Marc Christian Kabore saying that he had failed to stem growing jihadi violence in the once peaceful West African nation.