Burkina Suffers Twin Terrors

FILE: A members of Burkinabe workers' unions and civil society associations holds a placard reading "Enough of this bad standard of government" during a march called by the UAS union to call for better security measures against terrorism, in Ouagadougou on September 16, 2019

At least 10 civilians were killed in two attacks by suspected jihadists in the Burkina Faso town of Dassa, security and local sources told AFP on Friday.

Late on Thursday, two groups of armed men attacked two areas in Dassa, a commune in west-central Burkina Faso around 140 kilometers west of the capital Ouagadougou, killing 12 civilians according to a resident who spoke to AFP.

A security source confirmed the two attacks, but said there was "a provisional toll of around 10 victims."

Thousands of troops, police and civilians have been killed and around two million people have fled their homes since jihadists launched an insurgency from neighboring Mali in 2015.

More than a third of the country lies beyond the control of the government, and frustration within the army at the mounting toll triggered two coups last year.

Burkinabe's ruling junta confirmed Monday that it had told France to withdraw within a month its contingent of some 400 troops currently stationed in the country to assist against the insurgents.

France said Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after agreeing to the demand to pull its troops