Scores Killed As Gunmen Attack Mosque, Church In Burkina Faso

Scores of worshippers have been reportedly killed in attacks at a Mosque and Catholic Church in Burkina Faso.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that some armed individuals stormed a mosque located in Eastern Burkina Fasoon Sunday and killed dozens of people.

According to AFP, security sources in the region confirmed the attack, saying: “Armed individuals attacked a mosque in Natiaboani on Sunday around 5:00 am, resulting in several dozen being killed.”

“The victims were all Muslims, most of them men who had come for the morning prayer,” a local resident also said.

The village of Essakane was specifically targeted by the assailants, resulting in the death of 12 individuals at the scene.

Furthermore, three others unfortunately passed away while receiving medical treatment for their injuries. Also, two individuals reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury during the assault.

15 Killed In Catholic Church Attack

Aside from the Mosque incident, reports revealed that the gunmen also attacked a community as they gathered for prayers in the northern village of Essakane.

Al Jazeera quoted a church official saying that at least 15 Catholic worshippers were killed in a Burkina Faso village when the gunmen attacked.

The believers are said to have gathered for mass at a church in the country’s conflict-hit northern region when the assailants attacked them.

The vicar-general of the Catholic Diocese of Dori, Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, has released a statement confirming that the tragic incident in the village of Essakane on Sunday was indeed a “terrorist attack.”

The attack, he said, resulted in the death of 12 individuals at the scene, while three others succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

Additionally, two individuals were wounded in the assault.

However, at present, no group has claimed responsibility for the shooting, Naija News understands.

“In this painful circumstance, we invite you to pray for the rest in God for those who have died in faith, for the healing of the wounded and for the conversion of those who continue to sow death and desolation in our country,” Sawadogo said in a statement.

The shooting incident occurred in a region where various armed groups have carried out multiple attacks, some of which targeted Christian churches while others involved the abduction of clergy.

Approximately half of Burkina Faso remains beyond government control due to years of devastation caused by armed groups. These fighters have caused the deaths of thousands and displaced over two million people, posing a significant threat to the nation’s stability, which has already experienced two coups in 2022.

The military rulers of the country have faced challenges in restoring peace in areas plagued by violence since the initial coup in January 2022. The number of casualties from attacks by armed groups has nearly tripled compared to the previous 18 months, as reported by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in August 2023.

Furthermore, the security situation has been exacerbated by the country’s porous borders with Mali and Niger, both of which are also under military rule and grappling with security crises, Naija News reports.