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Burundi attacks death toll hits 87: Army

Saturday, 12 December 2015 7:06 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 12 December 2015 7:07 PM ]

A military vehicle, carrying men tied up, drives through a neighborhood of Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, on December 11, 2015. (AFP photo)

The Burundian army says the death toll from a series of attacks against three military bases in the capital, Bujumbura, has risen to 87.

On Saturday, the Burundian army said a total of 79 militants and eight government soldiers had been killed in the attacks carried out by unidentified gunmen the previous day.

"The final toll of the attacks yesterday is 79 enemies killed, 45 captured, and 97 weapons seized, and on our side eight soldiers and policemen were killed and 21 wounded," army spokesman Gaspard Baratuza said.

Earlier on Saturday, residents across the capital said they discovered 39 bodies lying on the streets. Baratuza later said the bodies belonged to “enemies.”

According to witnesses, soldiers and police went door to door dragging out young men from their homes before killing them.

Government forces reportedly collected the bodies later on Saturday and buried them in mass graves.

The army had given a much lower toll after the Friday attacks, saying that 12 gunmen had been killed and 21 captured in the raids.

The recent wave of violence is the worst to hit the African country since the failed coup attempt back in May, which was sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid to run for a third term.

Hundreds of people have been killed as tens of thousands have fled Burundi since protests began in April against Nkurunziza’s ultimately successful quest for a third term.

Nkurunziza won the controversial election in July. His third term has widely been censured as unconstitutional by the country’s opposition.

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