PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Eight soldiers killed in terror attack buried in Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (PANA) - Eight Burkina soldiers killed on Friday in the terrorist attack against the French embassy and the army staff were buried on Wednesday at the municipal cemetery of Ouagadougou, an official source told PANA.
Bodies of one senior army officer, five non-commissioned officers and two soldiers of the same grade were accorded military honour before their burial.
The double terrorist attack claimed 16 lives including eight assailants who were shot dead and eight Burkina soldiers, while other 61 soldiers and 24 civilians were injured.
During the attack, 29 vehicles were burnt and 26 others were damaged, in addition to several buildings destroyed.
According to prosecutor Maiza Sérémé, the eldest among the assailants was 25-years old and they were speaking Arabic and Bambara (one of the local languages in Burkina Faso). They were wearing eye patches on which they wrote: ‘There is no divinity except Allah’. She said that their photos would be posted soon.
Ms. Sérémé said that the assailants were armed with AK47 rifles and grenades, as well as inflammable liquids.
Meanwhile, within the framework of judicial cooperation, French investigators have arrived in Ouagadougou to strengthen the Burkina investigation team on the ground.
The prosecutor disclosed that investigations have so far led to the arrest of eight people including a retrenched soldier and two other working soldiers. According to her, complicity between Burkina soldiers and terrorists cannot be ruled out.
The Group for Islam and Muslims’ Support (GSIM) has claimed responsibility for the double attack.
-0- PANA NDT/IS/MSA/AR 7March2018
Bodies of one senior army officer, five non-commissioned officers and two soldiers of the same grade were accorded military honour before their burial.
The double terrorist attack claimed 16 lives including eight assailants who were shot dead and eight Burkina soldiers, while other 61 soldiers and 24 civilians were injured.
During the attack, 29 vehicles were burnt and 26 others were damaged, in addition to several buildings destroyed.
According to prosecutor Maiza Sérémé, the eldest among the assailants was 25-years old and they were speaking Arabic and Bambara (one of the local languages in Burkina Faso). They were wearing eye patches on which they wrote: ‘There is no divinity except Allah’. She said that their photos would be posted soon.
Ms. Sérémé said that the assailants were armed with AK47 rifles and grenades, as well as inflammable liquids.
Meanwhile, within the framework of judicial cooperation, French investigators have arrived in Ouagadougou to strengthen the Burkina investigation team on the ground.
The prosecutor disclosed that investigations have so far led to the arrest of eight people including a retrenched soldier and two other working soldiers. According to her, complicity between Burkina soldiers and terrorists cannot be ruled out.
The Group for Islam and Muslims’ Support (GSIM) has claimed responsibility for the double attack.
-0- PANA NDT/IS/MSA/AR 7March2018
