12 civilians die in Burkina Faso attack

According to security and local authorities, suspected jihadists have killed roughly a dozen villagers in western Burkina Faso and injured several more.

“Overnight (Friday-Saturday) armed people attacked the village of Sara,” 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Burkina’s second city Bobo-Dioulasso, the security source said.

“Unfortunately we have a dozen dead and several wounded.”

A villager, asking not to be named, said, “Nine bodies were buried this Saturday. But two people also died of their wounds, making a total of 11 dead.”

A second resident said the “terrorists” attacked at 8:00 pm (2000 GMT).

“They opened fire on a group of people. Some were mortally wounded inside their homes and others injured,” he added.

According to a different security source, a search operation was started in the area and "other regions targeted by the armed groups" after the shooting.

According to the army, on Wednesday, close to Kompienga in the east of Burkina, troops came under fire and killed roughly 15 "terrorists"

Burkina Faso, one of the world's poorest and most unstable nations, is contending with a terrorist insurgency that rushed in from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

The government estimates that nearly a third of the nation is ungoverned.

According to an NGO count, at least 10,000 civilians, soldiers, and police have been killed, and at least two million people have been forced to from their homes.

The failure to put an end to the insurgency angered the military, which provoked two coups last year.

Source