Pregnant woman, five others killed as ambulance hits land mine in Burkina Faso

Six people were killed after an ambulance hit an explosive device on Tuesday in northeast Burkina Faso, government spokesman Ousseni Tamboura on Wednesday said.

"The coward and barbaric incident that occurred while the ambulance was ensuring a medical evacuation to the capital Ouagadougou claimed the lives of six people," the spokesman said.

The victims included a woman patient and her husband, two members of the nursing staff, a girl, and the ambulancier.

The government of Burkina Faso condemned on the strongest terms this criminal act perpetrated by faithless individuals and extended its condolences to the bereaved families, Ousseni Tamboura said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for laying the land mine.

Attacks in Burkina Faso by fighters linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State have risen sharply over the last three years, displacing more than a million people.

Last month, Burkina Faso’s government for the first time said that it was open to talks with Islamist militants to try to end the insurgency, a position echoed by authorities in neighbouring Mali.

 

Thanks for reading. Follow the page and Share it.