Burkina Faso: The death toll after the security attack has risen to 53 News

The attack in Inata killed 49 military policemen and four civilians, a government spokesman said.

Number of dead a weekend attack The gendarmerie in northern Burkina Faso has risen to at least 53 in one post, according to officials.

In the attack, near a gold mine in Inata, 49 military policemen and four civilians were killed, government spokesman Ousseni Tamboura said on Wednesday, updating the previous estimate of 32 dead.

“Fortunately, we found 46 gendarmes alive,” Tamboura said after a government meeting.

However, there were fears that the toll could rise even further as reports from local sources mentioned that about 150 gendarmes were stationed at the facility.

The bloodshed in the northern Soum region on Sunday was the worst hit by Burkina Faso’s defense and security forces since the outbreak of violence caused by armed groups six years ago.

Authorities who have killed thousands of people and forced more than a million people to leave their homes have not been hindered by protests.

National mourning

Hundreds of protesters marched on the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, demanding the resignation of President Roch Kabore for failing to regularly fight al-Qaeda and ISIL-linked fighters (ISIS), targeting Burkinabe forces and civilians.

Authorities have declared three national mourners, Tuesday through Thursday.

In a public appearance on Wednesday, Kabor said he understood why some citizens were angry with the attack and the impact of it.

Staff stationed at the gendarmerie stand have been left without food and have been forced to kill animals in the area for the past two weeks, according to a note sent by the post commander to his superiors last week and seen by Reuters news.

“We don’t need to hear any more about food issues in our military,” Kabor said, ordering an investigation. “We must put our men with all the courage and determination needed to fight terrorism.”

Two top service commanders have already been fired, according to Tamboura.