It’s the second assault in two weeks by the RED-Tabara rebels, who’ve been largely inactive inside Burundi since 2021.
Gunmen have killed not less than 20 folks and wounded 9 others close to Burundi’s western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an official has instructed reporters.
These killed within the Friday night raid in town of Vugizo included 12 kids, 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 of a “terrorist” group by the Burundian authorities.
The assault focused 9 properties within the city, near the Lake Tanganyika border with the DRC. At the very least 9 others wounded within the assault have been hospitalised.
The RED-Tabara insurgent group, which has been battling Burundi’s authorities from bases in the eastern 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.
Native residents stated they heard sounds of gunfire and explosions through the assault.
Witnesses who spoke to the Related Press stated the rebels gave the impression to be sporting Burundian Military uniforms and civilians had been “left to their very own gadgets” after the army and police fled.
“We realised they had been attackers once they attacked the police place guarding the border,” stated Priscille Kanyange, a farmer.
“Many individuals right here had been injured by bullets [as they were] making an attempt to flee.”
One other farmer, Harmless Hajayandi, who witnessed the assault, stated safety forces fled, “leaving the residents to their very own gadgets”.
André Kabura, a grocery store proprietor who was wounded in each legs within the gunfire, stated the army and police had been sluggish to regroup and fend off the attackers.
Two army and safety sources instructed the AFP information company the assault focused “a army place”.
“The civilians had been caught within the crossfire and had been killed, after which the assailants retreated to DRC,” a senior army official instructed 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, once they carried out a series of attacks, together with on the Bujumbura airport.
Since then, their actions have been going down within the DRC’s South Kivu province. However on December 11, they exchanged hearth with the army in northwestern Burundi.
On Friday, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye instructed military, police and intelligence officers to stay vigilant, warning that “the enemy by no means sleeps even when we’ve got safety”.