Six Canadians are among the dead in a terrorist attack carried out by Al Qaeda in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on Saturday night, the Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed.
“Canada strongly condemns the deadly terrorist attacks that took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,” reads a statement by Justin Trudeau.
“On behalf of all Canadians, we offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of all those killed and a speedy recovery to all those injured. We are deeply saddened by these senseless acts of violence on innocent civilians.”
A total of 28 people from 18 countries were killed during an hours-long attack in a hotel frequented by international business travellers, according to the BBC.
Another 56 people were injured and 176 people were rescued after being taken hostage by the four attackers, now deceased following a security operation by local and French authorities.
All of the Canadians killed in the incident were humanitarian workers from Quebec.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of those killed in yesterday’s attack in Ouagadougou, among them Canadian aid workers and volunteers, and wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” said a joint statement by Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion and Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Marie-Claude Bibeau.
“Canada condemns in the strongest terms any act that threatens the safety of civilians, including those who strive to improve the lives of vulnerable people around the world. This attack is yet again another reminder of the danger terrorism poses around the world and the need to work with partners to deal with global threats.”
On Thursday, one Canadian was also killed in the terror attack that hit the streets of the city centre of Jakarta, Indonesia. Two people were killed in the attack and 19 people were injured.
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