Assailants 'execute' dozens in Burkina Faso raid

Suspected militants kill around 50 civilians, all men, in rural commune of Madjoari in East Region, officials and survivors say, in the latest attack in the impoverished African nation.

One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso has been shaken by militant raids since 2015.
AFP

One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso has been shaken by militant raids since 2015.

Armed assailants have killed about 50 people in a part of eastern Burkina Faso ravaged by militant violence, the region's governor said.

It was not immediately clear who was behind Wednesday's attack on residents of the rural commune of Madjoari, said Colonel Hubert Yameogo, the governor of the East Region.

The victims were travelling to a town in the nearby commune of Pama, close to the borders with Benin and Togo, Yameogo said in a statement on Thursday.

Survivors told the AFP news agency by telephone they had been trying to get away from the attackers as food ran out.

"The people were intercepted and executed by the terrorists," one survivor said. "All the dead were men."

READ MORE: Civilian volunteers among scores killed in Burkina Faso militant attacks

Worsening security

One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso has been shaken by militant raids since 2015, with the movements linked to Al Qaeda and Daesh terror group.

More than 2,000 people have been killed and 1.8 million displaced.

The conflict is now spilling over into coastal West African countries like Benin and Togo. 

Eight soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in northern Togo this month in what was likely the first deadly raid in Togo by militants.

Wednesday's attack in Burkina Faso followed two others this month in Madjoari. One killed 17 civilians and another killed 11 soldiers.

Army officers angry about worsening militant attacks overthrew Burkina Faso's president in January and vowed to improve security, but levels of violence have remained high.
READ MORE: Violence in Burkina Faso 'displaces' over 1.8M people

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