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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Cormac O'Shea

Tributes paid to Irishman 'shot dead' in Burkina Faso armed ambush

The Irishman killed in an armed ambush in Burkina Faso has been named as Rory Young.

The conservationist was part of a group of three that was shot dead by militants on Monday.

Zambian born ranger Mr Young, the co-founder and president of the Chengeta Wildlife group, was confirmed as one of the deceased on Tuesday evening.

Well-known journalist David Beriáin and cameraman Robert Fraile were the two Spanish citizens killed in the ambush.

Spanish media producer Movistar+ paid tribute to those killed, who had worked on a number of documentaries for the company.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was "aware of the reports and is liaising closely with international partners regarding the situation on the ground".

Spain's foreign ministry previously confirmed it is looking for two Spanish nationals "whose whereabouts are unknown in Burkina Faso".

Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel and has been battling an Islamist insurgency for years.

The nation has endured regular attacks, sometimes intertwined with community conflicts, since jihadists from neighbouring Mali launched raids in 2015.

The worsening violence has led to one of the world's fastest-growing displacement crises, the United Nations warned in April.

The Sahel now hosts nearly three million refugees and people displaced inside their own country.

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