Burkina Faso’s security minister says soldiers have disrupted a “large-scale attack” in the west of the country, arresting 13 suspects and seizing weapons and bomb-making materials.
Alain Zagre told state radio on Friday the arrests were linked to the investigation of an attack last month near the border with Mali that killed three military police officers.
News of the arrests comes two days before the West African nation holds presidential and legislative elections, capping a turbulent year that began with a popular uprising in October 2014 and a brief, failed coup in September.
Zagre said the 13 suspects were from Burkina Faso and Mali, raising the possibility of involvement of Islamic extremist groups active in Mali. The assailants who perpetrated the October attack are believed to have crossed over from Mali.
