The attack, aimed at a post office joint army-gendarmerie in the night of 10 to 11 June at Kafolo, has claimed the lives of " 12 military personnel and a policeman ", said the minister of Defence. The ivorian authorities had talked about "a dozen" deaths. Hamed Bakayoko has also stated that the "coordinator" of the commando jihad, which he had announced Monday the arrest, was " nationality burkina faso ", identifying it as "Sidibe Ali," says Sofiane, " during a press briefing at the conclusion of a national security council. He "has been arrested in Côte d'ivoire," added Mr. Bakayoko, also acting Prime minister. In addition to the " head of the commando unit that carried out the action ", "about thirty persons" were arrested during the "sweeps" conducted in the region since the attack, he assured, citing " fighters, intelligence officers, logisticians ". Bakayoko had mentioned, on Monday, 27 arrests.
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An attack of the GSIM
The attack Kafolo, attributed to jihadists, but not claimed until now, is the first action the jihadist murderous on ivorian soil since the attack of Grand-Bassam in 2016 (19 dead). According to a security source in burkina faso, it is the work of the combatants of the support Group to islam and to muslims (GSIM), the main alliance of the Sahel affiliated to Al-Qaeda. This attack is considered as an action of retaliation to a military operation in common of the Côte d'ivoire and Burkina faso, in may, to dislodge the jihadists installed in the north of Côte d'ivoire.
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Cooperation of the armed forces of côte d'ivoire and burkina faso
"All of our transactions at the level of the border is done in consultation with the armed forces burkinabées," said Bakayoko. "We feel the pressure of the infiltration of some groups who want to sow terror," he said. "We are working to strengthen our defences in the North," he continued. Military honors will be rendered to the soldiers killed during a ceremony on 2 July, in the presence of the ivorian president Alassane Ouattara, he said.
