BUJUMBURA, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The RED-Tabara rebel group has claimed responsibility in an attack that left 20 dead on Friday night in Gatumba, Mutimbuzi district in west Burundi's Bujumbura province, near the border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
"RED-Tabara fighters based in Burundi attacked the border post of Vugizo village in Gatumba zone on Friday night. Nine soldiers and one policeman were killed. We also seized three guns and several ammunitions," said the rebel group on the social media platform X, or formerly known as Twitter.
According to the rebel group, its fighters left without being harmed.
RED-Tabara is a rebel group based in eastern DRC and has been battling Burundi's government since 2015.
Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye extended condolences to families of the victims of the deadly attack in Gatumba.
"We wish a quick recovery to the injured persons and call on security and defense forces to spare no efforts in eradicating criminals who don't respect the life of children and parents, who disrupt peace and security that we dearly got," said President Ndayishimiye on X on Saturday evening.
The Burundian ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), also condemned the attack that killed innocent people.
On Saturday afternoon, Jerome Niyonzima, the secretary-general and spokesman of the Burundian government, told the press that unidentified gunmen had targeted nine households at Vugizo village quite near the border between Burundi and the DRC, killing 20 persons including 12 children, three women and five men.
He added that nine people were injured and rushed to health facilities in the area, specifying that their health condition was not in danger. ■
