Burkina Faso: Militants attack village, kill dozens of people
Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean denounced the ‘cowardly and barbaric attack’ on national television, and said it was carried out by hordes of criminals
Militants attacked a village in Burkina Faso on Saturday morning (August 24) killing dozens of people, including civilians and security personnel.
Multiple sources reported that armed men attacked the village of Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso around 9 am on Saturday.
Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo denounced the “cowardly and barbaric attack” on national television, and said it was carried out by hordes of criminals. He said the militants targeted “women, children, elderly men, making no distinction”.
Most of the many wounded were taken to a hospital about 45 kms away in the regional capital of Kaya. According to a source in the hospital, there were more than 100 wounded people.
One of the villagers said that most of the victims were young civilians who were helping the soldiers dig trenches around the village to protect themselves from attacks by armed militants.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack as yet.
Burkina Faso has faced continued violence since 2015 from jihadist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
