It is the second assault in two weeks by the RED-Tabara rebels, who’ve been largely inactive inside Burundi since 2021.
Gunmen have killed at the least 20 folks and wounded 9 others close to Burundi’s western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an official has informed reporters.
Those killed within the Friday night raid in town of Vugizo included 12 youngsters, two pregnant ladies and a police officer, authorities spokesperson Jérôme Niyonzima stated on Saturday.
The assault was claimed by the RED-Tabara insurgent group, thought-about a “terrorist” group by the Burundian authorities.
The assault focused 9 properties within the city, near the Lake Tanganyika border with the DRC. At least 9 others wounded within the assault have been hospitalised.
The RED-Tabara insurgent group, which has been battling Burundi’s authorities from bases within the jap DRC since 2015, claimed on the social media platform X to have killed 9 troopers and one police officer.
The group denied having focused civilians.
Local residents stated they heard sounds of gunfire and explosions through the assault.
Witnesses who spoke to the Associated Press stated the rebels seemed to be sporting Burundian Army uniforms and civilians had been “left to their own devices” after the army and police fled.
“We realised they were attackers when they attacked the police position guarding the border,” stated Priscille Kanyange, a farmer.
“Many people here were injured by bullets [as they were] trying to flee.”
Another farmer, Innocent Hajayandi, who witnessed the assault, stated safety forces fled, “leaving the residents to their own devices”.
André Kabura, a grocery store proprietor who was wounded in each legs within the gunfire, stated the army and police had been gradual to regroup and fend off the attackers.
Two army and safety sources informed the AFP information company the assault focused “a military position”.
“The civilians were caught in the crossfire and were killed, and then the assailants retreated to DRC,” a senior army official informed the AFP on situation of anonymity, confirming the toll of 20.
The assault was the second in as many weeks inside Burundi by the rebels, who haven’t been energetic contained in the nation since September 2021, after they carried out a sequence of assaults, together with on the Bujumbura airport.
Since then, their actions have been happening within the DRC’s South Kivu province. But on December 11, they exchanged fireplace with the army in northwestern Burundi.
On Friday, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye informed military, police and intelligence officers to stay vigilant, warning that “the enemy never sleeps even if we have security”.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/23/rebel-attack-in-western-burundi-kills-at-least-20?traffic_source=rss
