Both clashes took place over the weekend, one in the province of Kaya, which left one soldier dead, and a more violent assault on a post in Gomboro, in the northwestern province of Ouahigouya, near the border with Mali, which left 26 soldiers dead, according to a statement issued by the Islamist faction.

In both cases, the attackers claimed to have captured numerous rifles as well as ammunition.

Burkina Faso, a Sahel country ruled by a military junta, has been affected for nine years by waves of violence from Islamist groups and the Al Qaeda terrorist network, which are confronting the army and causing deaths and thousands of displaced people in the communities.

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