LOME, July 19 (Reuters) - Civilians in a part of northern Togo attacked by suspected Islamist militants last week have been fleeing their homes en masse to seek refuge in nearby cities, a local mayor said. More than 25 people were killed in the attacks on four villages in the Kpendjal district, near the border with Burkina Faso, two local activists told Reuters. read more"People are leaving their villages en masse," Arzoume Sambiani, the mayor of a part of Kpendjal, said in a statement on Monday. Togo's government declared a state of emergency last month across the wider Savanes region in the north. Togo has experienced a spate of attacks this year linked to a spillover of jihadist violence that has ravaged its northern neighbours in the Sahel region over the past decade.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 19, 2022 21:20 UTC