36 killed by militants in Burkina Faso attack

The government of Burkina Faso has confirmed that 36 people were killed during a terrorist attack in the province of Sanmatenga on Monday evening. 

An armed group is thought to have attacked a market in the village of Nagraogo, killing 32 people, before attacking a further four villagers near Alamou.

It is not clear who carried out the assaults, but Burkina Faso has been the site of an increasing number of deadly attacks by Islamist militants. 

Seven people were killed on 7th January, when gunmen attacked villages in the rural commune of Pissila in the same region.

The country has been in a state of emergency since January 2018. On Tuesday, Parliament passed a bill allowing civilian volunteers to join the fight against Islamist militants in the country.

Today, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore declared two days of national mourning to honour the victims of Monday’s attack. 

Photo credit: Reuters | Luc Gnago