Officials of the Burkina Faso government have confirmed the country’s army had, on Saturday, secured the release of 66 women and children who were last week abducted by a group of Islamic extremists.
The 66 women and children were abducted in the countryside while collecting wild fruit near the town of Arbinda in Soum province when the Islamic extremists seized them on Jan. 12th and 13th.
The country’s security forces orchestrated a rescue operation “and found 27 adult women and 39 babies, children and young girls in the adjacent Centre-North province, according to the West African country’s National broadcaster, RTB.
The report said armed forces had discovered the hostages during a military operation in the Center-North region. The persons rescued comprised 27 adult women and 39 babies, children and young girls.
Security sources said abductees were found in the Tougouri region, about 200 kilometres southern outline. Helicopters flew them to Ouagadougou, where senior army officers met them.
According to The Guardian report, “Extremists have besieged towns around the West African country, preventing Arabiaand goods from moving freely. The town of Arbinda has been under jihadi blockade for years, making women more vulnerable to attacks if they try to leave, rights groups say.
The Guardian said the Jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group had overrun Burkina Faso, killing thousands and displacing nearly 2 million people in the West African nation. The failure of successive governments to stop the fighting has caused widespread discontent and triggered two military coups in 2022.
The military junta that seized power in September, vowing to restore security, is still struggling to stem the other violence.
Bay States News 