Al Qaeda identifies fighters behind attack in Burkina Faso

The victims include a Ukrainian woman along with her 9 year old son, six Canadians, seven Burkina Faso citizens, two Swiss, two French, and one each from the USA, the Netherlands, Portugal and Libya.

“Three were killed and three are still being sought”.

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed responsibility, saying the unprovoked attack was meant to “punish the Cross-worshippers for their crimes against our people in Central Africa, Mali and other lands of the Muslims”.

French President Francois Hollande spoke by phone on Monday with his Burkinabe counterpart Roch Marc Christian Kabore, pledging “any assistance needed… for a proper investigation of these heinous acts”.

They were named as Battar al Ansari, Abu Muhammad al Buqali al Ansari and Ahmed al Fulani al Ansari.

Patrols and check points have been set up on main roads around the country, and security personnel has been increased, especially in areas of the country where there are foreigners, Compaore said.

Barry said that despite attacks, Burkina Faso will prevail. “This has been the case since Saturday morning”, Thibault said.

Burkina Faso had not made public the number of assailants in the attack that left 30 people dead, many of them foreigners.

In their earlier statement, AQIM said the gunmen were from the Al-Murabitoun group of Algerian extremist Mokhtar Belmokhtar.

The French troops involved in the operation against the attackers were part of a 200-strong force stationed in the country as part of a regional anti-militant operation.

The group says he was waiting for the group in a cafe Friday in the capital of Ouagadougou when terrorists struck, taking his life.

“Our men were raring to go”.

“The mining industry as such is in an economic lull or downturn so there are a lot of people who are trained in the mining industry who are without employment at the moment”, she said. In September, presidential guards attempted a coup.

Additionally, the authorities jailed the unit’s commander, General Gilbert Diendere, who led the intelligence services.

Special forces from the former colonizer came during the overnight siege from their base in neighbouring Mali to help Burkina Faso’s military put an end to the killings.

The attack began around 7:45 pm (1945 GMT) on Friday when the attackers stormed the 147-room Splendid Hotel in the heart of Ouagadougou. Unknown assailants abducted an elderly Australian doctor and his wife near the Malian border.