In two separate strikes on villages in northern Burkina Faso, at least 44 civilians were killed, according to local authorities.
Rodolphe Sorgho, the local governor, denounced terrorists for the “despicable and barbarous” attacks without mentioning any specific organization.
Sorgho issued a statement in which he expressed his “sincere sympathies to the grieving families and wishes for the wounded’s quick recovery.”
There were little further information available about the attacks, although a resident of one of the villages told AFP that late on Thursday, “a great number of terrorists” attacked, and gunshots could be heard all through the night.
One of the most impoverished nations in the world, Burkina Faso has emerged as the focal point of atrocities committed by jihadists affiliated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.
The violence began in neighboring Mali in 2012 but has since spread across the arid expanse of the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.
Large areas of the north and east of Burkina Faso have become ungovernable since 2018. Millions have fled their homes, fearing further raids by gunmen who frequently descend on rural communities on motorbikes. Thousands have been killed.