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Burkina Faso's army has confirmed that more than 50 troops were murdered in an attack by suspected Islamists in the country's north on Friday.
According to a statement, 51 bodies have been found so far, other soldiers are still missing, and three wounded soldiers have been evacuated from the area.
The military had previously stated that eight people had perished in what it described as severe fighting in Oudalan province.
It claimed to have killed more than 100 assailants, albeit this figure has not been independently verified.
Fighting in northern Burkina Faso has increased this year, with more than 100 deaths recorded in the first six weeks
Failure to stop the violence resulted in two coups last year and the termination of France's military mission in the country.
This event occurred after France formally ended its military activities in the nation, where French soldiers had been stationed since 2015 to assist in the battle against extremists.