Terrorist attacks kill 44 in northern Burkina Faso: Official

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 44 civilians were killed in two separate terror attacks in northern Burkina Faso's Sahel region, authorities said Saturday.

The attacks occurred overnight Thursday in the villages of Kourakou and Tondobi, located about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the Seytenga commune in the province of Seno, Sahel Region Governor Lt. Col. Rodolphe Sorgho said in a statement.

“The provisional toll is 44 civilians killed, including 31 in Kourakou and 13 in Tondobi,” said Sorgho. “In addition, injuries and material damage were also recorded.”

Sorgho reassured residents that efforts to stabilize the area were underway by the defense and security forces.

Burkina Faso battles regular insecurity posed by an insurgency that has spread from neighboring Mali in the past decade -- linked to the al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

The country recorded 1,135 deaths attributed to terrorists in 2022, a 50% jump compared to 2021, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2023.

The political situation in the Sahel compounds the terror challenge, according to security analysts.

A large-scale massacre last June left more than 100 dead in Seytenga, a town 15 kilometers from the border with Niger.