Militant attack, scores feared dead

Dozens of people have been murdered in a militant strike in Burkina Faso, including civilians, local and security sources told AFP on Sunday. Since 2015, jihadist rebels in Burkina Faso have been fighting a bloody insurgency that has resulted in thousands of deaths and two million displaced people. The rebels are associated with both the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.

According to several sources, armed men carried out the most recent attack on Saturday in the north-central Burkina Faso village of Barsalogho.

Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo denounced the “cowardly and barbaric attack,” claiming that “hordes of criminals” were responsible for it.

On national television, Ouedraogo stated that the attackers “made no distinction, targeting women, children, elderly, men.”
A security source, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that there were “several dozen dead,” including civilians and security forces. The majority of the “numerous wounded” were transported to a hospital in the regional capital of Kaya, which is approximately 45 kilometers (28 miles) away.

A local resident told AFP over the phone that the attack occurred at approximately 9:00 am on Saturday, when “terrorist groups attacked the village, killing numerous civilians and security personnel.”
As of yet, no one has taken credit for the attack.

“Young civilians, who came out in large numbers to help the soldiers dig trenches around the town, to protect themselves from possible attacks by armed terrorist groups” made up the majority of the victims, according to another local.

“The response of the soldiers” and backup troops “made it possible to neutralize several terrorists and avoid a greater tragedy,” according to a second security source.