A Canadian mine in Burkina Faso has been attacked leaving 37 dead and 60 wounded.
Five buses full of workers along with a military escort were fired upon on Wednesday in the region, which has been torn by Islamist-led violence. The military escort was allegedly targeted by an explosive device and the convoy was then fired upon by armed militants.
The Bangou mine was operated by the Quebec-based company SEMAFO which prospects for gold in West Africa.
“We are devastated by this unprecedented attack. Our sincerest sympathies go out to the families and colleagues of the victims. Our priority is their safety, security and well being. Given the scale of the attack, it will take some time to properly deal with it and we will do our utmost to support all those affected,” said SEMAFO President and CEO Benoit Desormeaux.
Canada’s Global Affairs Ministry has said that they have received no report of Canadians being affected by the attack.
Since 2015, terror groups have begun to flood into Burkina Faso, launching regular attacks. Among the armed extremists are Al-Qaeda linked groups and cells inspired by ISIS.
In 2018, Islamists conducted a total of 136 attacks in the country and by next year nearly half a million people were displaced from their homes due to the threat of violence.
Dozens of people are still considered missing since the attack on the miners took place.
Operations at the site have been suspended for safety reasons.
