An attack on a convoy of buses carrying employees and contractors of a Canadian gold mining firm Semafo in Burkina Faso and its military escort has killed at least 37 people and 60 injured on Wednesday, November 6.
A gunman attacked some 40km from one of its mines in the Est region, and involved five buses of employees who were being accompanied by a military escort.
Saying “unidentified armed men laid an ambush for a convoy transporting Semafo workers,” The Est governor’s office later gave more details.
It is the deadliest attack in five years of near-constant extremist violence in the West African country. following armed incidents near two of its mines in the country, Semafo has increased the security system last year.
“A military vehicle that was escorting the convoy hit an explosive device,” said a security source and added, “two buses carrying workers were then fired upon.”
It is unknown who carried out the attack.
Two separate assaults on caravans conveying Boungou mine workers a year ago executed 11 individuals. One in August 2018 likewise focused on vehicles heading out to Semafo mines, and last December a police vehicle was trapped on a similar street between the city of Fada and the Bongou gold mine.
“Terrorists” and “armed bandits” were blamed for those attacks.
Sylvain Leclerc, a spokeswoman for the Canadian foreign ministry, said Canada’s government condemns the attack and supports efforts to bring peace to Burkina Faso.
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