- Title: Ivory Coast remembers soldiers killed by jihadists
- Date: 2nd July 2020
- Summary: COFFINS LINED UP KILLED SOLDIERS' HATS ON COFFINS OUATTARA AND OTHER OFFICIALS WALKING AWAY FROM COFFIN MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE DEAD VARIOUS OF OUATTARA LAYING WREATH IN FRONT OF MONUMENT WREATH (SOUNDBITE ) (French) IVORY COAST ARMY COMMANDER, GENERAL DEM ALY JUSTIN, SAYING: "They have fallen without noise, without shouting. Struck down by death, wounded in body, they lost their lives. They made the ultimate sacrifice to protect Ivory Coast from the brutality of those who like vampires only seek blood. All of them were taken from their families on this warm night on the 10th of June 2020." OUATTARA SPEAKING TO FAMILY MEMBERS OF KILLED SOLDIERS (SOUNDBITE ) (French) IVORY COAST ARMY COMMANDER, GENERAL DEM ALY JUSTIN, SAYING: "The outcome of this fatal night, 14 killed, five injured and recovering. Fourteen soldiers killed in combat, 14 men of convictions, 14 fathers brutally taken from their families' affection, 14 Ivorians dead for their country."
- Embargoed: 16th July 2020 17:21
- Keywords: attack jihadists memorial security soldiers killed
- Location: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- City: ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST
- Country: Ivory Coast
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA005CL4BFPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Ivory Coast on Thursday (July 2) paid tribute to the 14 soldiers killed in an ambush near its border with Burkina Faso last month.
The ambush on the night of June 10 on a military outpost in Kafolo was the deadliest since gunmen from al Qaeda's North African branch stormed the beach resort of Grand Bassam in March 2016, killing 19 people.
On June 22, Ivorian authorities said they arrested the suspected head of a jihadist group and several other militants believed to have carried out the attack.
President, Alassane Ouattara attended the ceremony where he was seen bowing in front of the coffins and speaking to family members of the fallen soldiers.
In May, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso launched a joint military operation called Operation Comoe to tackle the expanding threat from Islamist jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel region.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have been worst hit by the militant violence, but there are concerns that the attacks could spread to coastal nations.
International and regional powers agreed at talks on Tuesday (June 30) to intensify a military campaign against Islamist militants in the West African Sahel region, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying victory over the jihadists was within grasp.
(Production: Christophe Van Der Perre, Paul Warren, Vanessa Romeo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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