Image copyright AFP Image caption An official said Friday's attack was the biggest jihadist assault ever carried out against the army

Twelve soldiers have been killed and two are missing after an attack by Islamist militants near Burkina Faso's border with Mali, the army has said. “A detachment of our army’s anti-terrorist force suffered a murderous attack, which claimed the lives of 12 of our valiant soldiers and left some wounded,” said President Rock Marc Christian Kabore, in an address to the nation. Image copyright AP Image caption In January the security forces had to deal with an attack by militants on a hotel frequented by foreigners in Ouagadougou

"I strongly condemn this horrible attack which shows the cruelty of these perpetrators," he said. Two more men were missing after around 40 jihadists riding pick-up trucks and motorbikes attacked the army's Nassoumbou base some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Burkina-Mali border, the high commissioner of Soum province, Mohamed Dah, earlier told AFP by phone. Burkina Faso hotel attackers named

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"They [the attackers] were heavily armed with Kalashnikovs and rocket-launchers. The assailants also set fires to the premises, including tents and military vehicles, a security official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists. A security source who asked not to be named said the assailants were wearing turbans and waving black jihadist flags. Troops at the Nassoumbou base are part of a 600-strong anti-terrorist battalion that was deployed in January 2013 when France sent in troops to counter a jihadist insurgency in northern Mali. The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group behind a string of attacks in west Africa in recent years claimed responsibility for the strikes on the venues which were popular with Westerners. The army has, since 2012, had an anti-terrorist battalion deployed along the country's long border with Mali, an area which is frequently subjected to attacks and kidnappings.
An attack on a border post near Burkina Faso's border with Mali, leaves at least 12 Burkinabe troops dead and two others missing.