A powerful jihadi group has claimed responsibility for an attack Monday on an army base in northern Burkina Faso, adding it had also freed scores of prisoners in addition to killing 10 soldiers.
The Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), which is linked to al-Qaida, said Friday that its militants had carried out the attack on the base in Djibo, according to a statement authenticated by SITE, a U.S. group that monitors jihadis.
The army said at least 10 soldiers died and around 50 were wounded in a "terrorist" assault on the 14th regiment but made no mention of prisoners released.
The army added that it killed 18 "terrorists" in mopping-up operations.
GSIM said its fighters "killed 10 military personnel and injured dozens more, in addition to freeing 67 prisoners."
The group added, "Fighters seized a large amount of war spoils, including 4 cars and over 400 light weapons. Moreover, 67 imprisoned Muslim commoners were freed from the jail."
Djibo's population of some 300,000, which has swelled with displaced people, has been cut off for several months, with jihadis controlling the main roads after blowing up bridges.
GSIM also claimed responsibility for an attack on a supply convoy heading for Djibo on September 26 that left 37 dead, 27 of them were soldiers. Seventy truck drivers are still missing.
The attack helped trigger the latest coup in Burkina Faso just four days later, led by a young army captain, Ibrahim Traore. He became interim president October 21, vowing to win back territory from the jihadis.
It was the West African nation's second coup in eight months.
Traore toppled Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had seized power in January, forcing out Burkina's last elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
Both coups were driven by anger at failures to stem a seven-year jihadi insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and driven nearly 2 million people from their homes.
