Al-Qaeda Attack in Burkina Faso Signals Widening West Africa War
- Twenty-six people die in second attack on West African capital
- Al-Qaeda militant vows continuing fight against France
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An attack by al-Qaeda militants at a hotel in the West African nation of Burkina Faso left at least 26 people dead and highlighted the militants’ shift to striking capital cities in the region.
Burkina Faso’s military rescued at least 156 hostages from Ouagadougou’s Splendid Hotel, which is popular with foreigners, on Saturday, while 56 people were injured, Prime Minister Paul Kaba Thieba told reporters. It was the second attack claimed by al-Qaeda since gunmen took more than 100 people hostage in November at the Radisson Blu hotel in the capital of neighboring Mali, killing dozens.