At least nine gunmen killed in Burkina Faso attack

Burkina Faso

Burkinabe gendarmes on patrol. At least nine people were on May 16, 2021 killed when attacking a position of the Defence of the Motherland in Burkina Faso.

Photo credit: File | AFP

Ouagadougou

At least nine people were on Sunday killed when attacking a position of the Defence of the Motherland (VDP) in Burkina Faso in the central part of the country, local sources said.

"A number of unidentified gunmen on Sunday attacked the position of the VDP in Palsegue village ... Initial death toll stands at nine," a local police officer told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

However, an administrative source said eight civilians, including the chief of the village, were killed.

VDP members are civilians armed by the Burkina Faso government to support the armed forces to stabilise the West African country.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been facing a worsening security situation with terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of over 1,000 people and displaced over one million others.