Burkina Faso says 11 police officers killed in hiding, 4 missing | War Stories

The leaders were tortured during a relief operation in the northern city of Yirgou, the security ministry said.

The Burkina Faso government says police coverage in the northern part of the country has left at least 11 policemen dead, while four others have disappeared.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Security Minister Opaseini Compaore said the officers were arrested while on a mission to Yirgou, a town affected by the recent violence.

“Investigative activities alongside the military have been taking place since yesterday,” added Compaore.

There was no information about the incident.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been plagued by frequent and dangerous attacks from al-Qaeda-linked militant groups and ISIL (ISIS).

The invasion, which has killed at least 1,400 people so far, began in the northern border of Mali and Mali, but has since spread to other parts of the country, especially to the east, creating a major humanitarian crisis.

In early June, the northern village of Solhan was affected by a vicious attack Since the conflict, at least 138 people have been killed. Local sources say the death toll is 160. The killings prompted mass evacuation 7,000 families looking for the safest place.

Since 2019, violence in the country has forced more than 1.2 million people – about one in 20 – to flee, according to United Nations refugee agency figures.

About 150,000 people have migrated home this year alone, the agency said in early June, adding that 84% of them were women and children.