Attack in northern Burkina Faso kills at least 15 people

At least 15 people were killed following an attack on a convoy transporting traders in a town in northern Burkina Faso on Friday, the government said on Saturday.

The attack, carried out by an unidentified group of assailants, left several others wounded. Many more were still unaccounted for, the government said in a statement.

Burkina Faso has been battling armed combatants with links to the al-Qaeda and Daesh Takfiri terrorist groups since 2017.

Hundreds have been killed in the past year in the Sahel nation, and over half a million people have fled their homes due to attacks which have also fueled ethnic and religious tensions.

On Thursday, Burkina Faso’s armed forces said troops destroyed a militant camp in another province in the north of the country. It said 10 assailants were killed, while a soldier was wounded during the operation.