OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Gunmen killed at least 55 people over the weekend in northern Burkina Faso, authorities said Monday, the latest attack in the West African country where mounting violence is blamed on Islamic extremists. Suspected militants targeted civilians in Seytenga in Seno province, government spokesman Wendkouni Joel Lionel Bilgo said at a news conference. Attacks linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are soaring in Burkina Faso, particularly in the north. While no group claimed the weekend attack, conflict analysts say it was likely carried out by the Islamic State group. Nearly 5,000 people have died over the last two years in Burkina Faso because of violence blamed on Islamic extremists.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 13, 2022 18:21 UTC