Civilians killed in fresh Burkina Faso attacks
Like its neighbours Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has been plagued by recurrent jihadist attacks since 2015.
CAPE TOWN, May 20 (ANA) – At least 15 civilians were killed in an attack by heavily armed unidentified gunmen Tuesday night in northern Burkina Faso, the Xinhua news agency reported.
It said the attack took place in Adjarara, about 7 km from Tin-Akoff in the province of Oudalan, close to the border with Mali.
Local media quoted a statement from the governor of the Sahel region, Colonel Major Salfo Kaboré, as saying it targeted people who were gathered for a baptism ceremony.
This is the fourth attack against civilians this month in the commune, the Associated Press reported, citing an internal security report for aid workers.
It comes on the back of another one on Sunday when at least nine people were killed in Burkina Faso, allegedly by jihadists in the country’s restive north, according to local and security sources on Monday.
While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the internal security report blamed extremists linked to the Islamic State.
Islamist attacks are increasingly common in the country, especially in regions bordering Niger and Mali.
Several dozen people were killed on May 3 in an attack by suspected jihadists in Kodyel, a locality in Komandjari province in eastern Burkina Faso, Paris-headquartered news agency Agence France-Presse reported.
In April, two Spanish journalists and the Irish director of a wildlife foundation were killed in an ambush in eastern Burkina Faso by gunmen near Pama Reserve.
Like its neighbours Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has been plagued by recurrent jihadist attacks since 2015.
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa