No fewer than 170 people including women and children have been “executed” in attacks on three villages in Burkina Faso, a public prosecutor has confirmed.
Aly Benjamin Coulibaly appealed for witnesses to help find those who attacked Komsilga, Nordin and Soro.
Separately, the army warned of the increased risk of attacks by Islamists, “including attacks on urban centres”.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that the country’s army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents.
Mr Coulibaly said he had launched an investigation into the village attacks in Yatenga province on 25 February.
According to an AFP report, dozens of women and children were among the dead.
It was not known which group was behind the attacks.
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They are not believed to be related to other recent violence – attacks on a church as well as a mosque and army bases – elsewhere in the country.
On Friday, the country’s army chief warned soldiers to stay vigilant due to an increased risk of suicide attacks by militants.
He said there were also “fears of a series of large-scale attacks” against security forces in cities.
Humanitarian workers say Burkina Faso is one of the world’s most-neglected crises.
Years of rampant insecurity has forced more than two million people from their homes, and the UN estimates that a quarter of all children under five have stunted growth resulting from hunger.
The military seized power two years ago promising to win the battle against rebels, yet the violence continues.
Africa Today News, New Yor recalls that this is coming barely one week after no fewer than 15 Catholic worshippers were confirmed dead in a Burkina Faso village when gunmen attacked a community as they gathered for mass at a church in the country’s conflict-hit northern region.
According to a statement issued by Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, vicar-general of the Catholic Diocese of Dori, where the attack happened, Sunday’s violence in the village of Essakane was a “terrorist attack” that left 12 attendees dead at the scene, while three others died later as they were being treated for their wounds.
He said two others were injured in the attack.