Officials in Burkina Faso reports that a mosque was attacked on the same day as a church, resulting in multiple casualties.
The gunmen came to the mosque in Natiaboani town during early-morning prayers on Sunday.
A resident of the area informed AFP that all the victims were Muslim and the majority of them were males.”
Insurgents control over one third of Burkina Faso right now.
According to reports, the attackers were Islamist fighters who also attacked soldiers and a local self-defence group on the same day.
The news in the local media says that there were many armed attackers on motorcycles.
Al-Qaeda’s group in the Sahel region said it took over an army base in Natiaboani, but there is no proof from other sources. It did not say that there was an attack on a mosque.
Unconfirmed information on social media says that the number of people who died in the mosque attack might be more than what the officials have said.
Natiaboani is in a dangerous part of Burkina Faso where many armed groups are active.
On the same day, at least 15 people praying at a church were killed in an attack in Essakane during Sunday mass. A person from the church said that they think Islamist militants are responsible for the attack.
No connection has been proven between the two attacks, but a newspaper in Burkina Faso called L’Observateur Paalga is asking if they were planned together.
Attacks on religious leaders happen often in Burkina Faso.
A priest was taken by force from the town of Djibo five years ago and has not been found. In 2021, the leader of the mosque in Djibo was taken by armed people and later found dead.
Humanitarian workers say that Burkina Faso is one of the most overlooked crises in the world.
For many years, there has been a lot of fear and uncertainty, causing over two million people to leave their homes. The UN says that one in four young children are not growing well because they don’t have enough food to eat.
The army took control two years ago,saying they would defeat the rebels, but there is still fighting.