At least 33 soldiers were killed and 12 others wounded in the attack launched by gunmen, yesterday Thursday, on a post in the eastern part of Burkina Faso.

The army says in a statement that defending soldiers killed more than 40 “terrorists”.

Burkina Faso has been facing jihadist attacks for years, from which approximately 10,000 people have lost their lives and more than two million residents have been forced to leave their homes.

The country’s armed forces have also been accused of killing civilians during operations against groups that pledge allegiance to either the Islamic State or al-Qaeda. Last week, “gunmen wearing military uniforms” killed at least 150 people in a raid on a village in northern Burkina Faso, according to the United Nations. The junta that rules the African country condemned the attack and promised an investigation into the events.

Amid popular outcry over the authorities’ failure to protect the civilian population, Burkina Faso saw two military coups last year.