Estimates indicate that about 20,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since 2015 due to attacks by armed groups (Reuters)
At least 15 people were killed and two injured in an attack targeting a Catholic church on Sunday in a village in northern Burkina Faso, according to sources in the region.
Agence France-Presse quoted an official at the church that was attacked as saying that the attack occurred during a gathering of church visitors to attend Sunday mass.
He confirmed that the initial toll indicates that 15 people were killed, 12 of whom died instantly and 3 died in a health center to which they were transferred after they were injured in the attack.
Burkina Faso has witnessed bloody attacks since 2015 attributed to movements loyal to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
It is estimated that these attacks resulted in the deaths of about 20,000 people and caused the displacement of more than two million people from their homes.
The village of Ikasani, whose church was attacked today, is located in the “border triangle” area between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, an area where these groups are highly active.
The three countries are suffering due to deteriorating security and repeated attacks launched by armed groups, and have witnessed successive military coups that toppled their civilian governments since 2020.
Source: French