OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso's security minister says at least eight people are dead after two attacks on security forces in the country's east over the past two days.
The minister told public radio Thursday that seven soldiers were killed and two others were seriously wounded when their vehicle struck an explosive device between Gayeri and Bartieboubou on Wednesday.
The soldiers were in a convoy deploying in the volatile east, where most extremist attacks have been concentrated in recent months.
He said the second attack occurred Thursday when scores of heavily armed extremists invaded the Inata mining site in Soum province, killing one gendarme. Another gendarme was wounded and three others are missing.
Last month three men, including an Indian and a South African, were kidnapped from the mining site.
