Burkina Faso is once again in mourning following a large-scale terrorist attack. On Friday, March 6, the detachment of the Mobile Intervention Units Group (GUMI) based in Yamba, in the Eastern region, was the target of a violent assault.

Course of the assault

The attack began in the afternoon, carried out by a large number of assailants who arrived on motorcycles. According to security sources, the fighting lasted more than two hours . Taking advantage of a moment of vulnerability—the shift rotation was underway—the terrorists:

1. The camp was ransacked and burned down.
2. Looted some of the military equipment.
3. Caught fleeing before reinforcements arrived, despite earlier warnings.

A tragic human toll

Although no official figures have yet been released by the authorities, local and security sources report a catastrophic situation:

1. At least thirty police officers killed.
2. Numerous injured and missing.
3. Search operations are currently underway to find the survivors.

A region under constant pressure

This is not the first time that the town of Yamba, located about 20 km from Fada N'Gourma, has been targeted; the camp had already suffered a similar attack last year.

The eastern region, strategically important due to its proximity to Benin , Togo , and Niger , has been experiencing a surge in violence since the beginning of the year. This tragedy comes just two weeks after the massacre of a unit of forest rangers in Tandjari, confirming the growing insecurity in this border area.