Burkina Faso has announced two days of mourning after at least 41 members of a government-backed civilian militia were killed in the country's northern Loroum province by suspected terrorists, according to Anadolu Agency.
In a statement, government spokesman Alkassoum Maiga reported that 41 members of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) were killed in an ambush in the region on Thursday while accompanying a convoy of traders.
"In this terrible circumstance, and as a respect to the courageous VDP and civilians who gave their lives in defence of the homeland, the president of Burkina Faso has decreed a 48-hour national mourning period, beginning Sunday," Maiga stated.
Following the deaths of 58 troops in two terrorist assaults in November, the Burkina Faso administration came under fire.
Following the attacks, protests were conducted calling for President Roch Marc Christian Kabore's resignation, and the administration was accused of failing to combat terrorism.
Due to the growing backlash, Kabore fired Prime Minister Joseph Marie Dabire on December 8.
Since 2015, Al-Qaeda and Da-linked terrorist organisations in Mali have carried out frequent strikes in Burkina Faso's north and east.
According to UN figures, more than 17,500 people were forced to flee the nation this year due to security concerns.
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