Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Mar 21 (AP) At least 13 soldiers were killed and eight injured in an ambush by suspected Islamic extremists in Burkina Faso's eastern Gourma province, the army announced on Monday.

A number of attackers were killed in the incident, said the army statement, adding that the military had secured the area with the air support.

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The army has for several days been carrying out large-scale operations to regain control of several areas that had been held by Islamic extremists, including Pama, Madjoari and Foutouri, said the statement.

Burkina Faso's military seized power in a coup in January, overthrowing President Roch Marc Christian Kabore saying that he had failed to stem growing jihadi violence in the once peaceful West African nation.

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Kabore has been under house arrest in capital Ouagadougou, since his ouster.

The junta has vowed to secure Burkina Faso from growing jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced more than 1.5 million people. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)