100 civilians killed in Burkina Faso in deadliest attack since 2015

  05 June 2021    Read: 564
100 civilians killed in Burkina Faso in deadliest attack since 2015

At least 100 civilians were killed in an overnight terrorist attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, the government said on Saturday.

It was the deadliest attack in Burkina Faso since terrorist violence erupted in the country in 2015.

The attackers struck during the night on Friday, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province bordering Niger. They also burned homes and the market, the government said in a statement.

The government described the attackers as terrorists but no group claimed responsibility.

Attacks by terrorists linked to al-Qaida and Daesh in West Africa's Sahel region have risen sharply since the start of the year, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, with civilians bearing the brunt.

The government declared a 72-hour period of national mourning. It said the provisional toll put the number of people killed at around 100.

The violence in Burkina Faso has displaced more than 1.14 million people in just over two years, while the poor arid country is also hosting some 20,000 refugees from neighboring Mali who are seeking safety from terrorist attacks.


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