Burkina Faso: Over 100 civilians killed in worst militant attack in years

Armed assailants killed around 100 civilians and injured over 40 others in an overnight attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, the government said on Saturday.

No group has taken responsibility for what has been the the worst militant attack in the Burkina Faso since 2015. The govt has declared a 72-hour period of national mourning, describing the attackers as terrorists. Attacks by jihadists linked to al Qaeda have risen sharply since the start of the year despite the presence of thousands of U.N. peacekeepers

UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed his outrage on the attacks as a spokesperson stated " The Secretary-General strongly condemns the heinous attack and underscores the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to Member States in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll."

The violence in Burkina Faso has displaced more than 1.14 million people in just over two years.