Suspected extremists have killed 24 people, including civilian defense volunteers, in two separate attacks in Burkina Faso, according to security and local sources.
The deadliest attack happened in Bittou, near the Togolese and Ghanaian borders, where 16 auxiliary soldiers and four civilians were killed, with several still missing.
A volunteer militia official confirmed the attack and said that at least another four volunteers were killed during a second clash in the same region.
Following the attacks, hundreds of people demonstrated in Bittou demanding better security. Since December 2019, the volunteer militia forces have faced heavy losses in the country’s fight against extremist groups.
The violence has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people and displaced two million people from their homes.
