At least 132 civilians were killed in the worst militant attack in Burkina Faso in recent years, the government said on Saturday, after armed assailants laid siege overnight to a village in the jihadist-plagued northeast. The attackers struck during the night on Friday, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger. It declared a 72-hour period of national mourning, describing the attackers as terrorists, although no group has claimed responsibility. The United Nations said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was outraged by the attack, whose victims included seven children. Despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers, attacks by jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State 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.

Source: CNN June 06, 2021 01:41 UTC