Burkina Faso's armed forces said on Tuesday they had killed at least 50 "terrorists" in two operations.

A rapid reaction force responding to an ambush Monday near Barakuy in the northwestern region of Boucle du Mouhoun "routed the assailants, killing at least 40 terrorists," military headquarters said in a statement, using a term typically used for jihadists.

Troops conducted a sweep with backup from the air force, seizing combat equipment, it said, adding that "a few soldiers" were "slightly wounded."

Also on Monday, a commando unit launched an attack near Djigoue in the southwest of the country, near the border with Ivory Coast, it said.

The operation, carried out in coordination with volunteer forces, led to the death of 10 "terrorists" whose weapons were seized, the statement said.

Burkina Faso has been struggling since 2015 with a jihadist insurgency that is mainly concentrated in the country's north and west.

More than 2,000 people have died and almost two million fled their homes.

Mutinous troops, angered at mounting losses, ousted elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore in January.

The new strongman, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, says tackling the violence and restoring security is his top priority.

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Ambushes leave 12 dead in Burkina Faso: local, security sources
Ouagadougou (AFP) May 8, 2022
At least 12 people, including 10 army auxiliaries and two civilians, were killed in an ambush by suspected jihadists in northern Burkina Faso, security and local sources told AFP on Sunday. "Yesterday (Saturday) morning, a food convoy escorted by volunteers for the defence of the fatherland (VDP) was the target of an ambush on the Dori-Gorgadji road," during which "12 people were killed," a security source said. A local official confirmed to AFP that 10 back up troops had "fallen". Jihad ... read more