Burkina Faso probes twin terror attacks
Authorities in Burkina Faso on Saturday hunted for clues about the masterminds behind Friday’s deadly twin attacks on the French embassy and the country’s military HQ.
The coordinated attacks in Ouagadougou, which coincided with a meeting of regional anti-jihadist forces, underlined the struggle the fragile West African nation faces in containing a bloody and growing jihadist insurgency. Eight armed forces personnel were killed, the government said, while a French security source said 12 more were seriously injured.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and while a jihadist plot is the most likely, the government was not ruling out the involvement of plotters behind a failed coup in 2015.
“This is a terrorist attack, linked to a current or another terrorist movement in the Sahel... or to others who want to are destabilise or block our democratic progress,” said communication minister Remis Fulgance Dandjinou.
Two people were arrested near the headquarters, a security source said. The government said the attack on the military HQ was a suicide car bombing and that the G5 Sahel regional anti-terrorism force may have been the target. “The vehicle was packed with explosives” and caused “huge damage,” security minister Clement Sawadogo said. AFP
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