Civilians are among the dozens of people killed in an attack by militants in Burkina Faso, local and security sources said on Sunday.
Jihadist rebels affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a grinding insurgency since 2015 in Burkina Faso that has killed thousands and displaced two million people.
The latest attack was carried out by armed men in the village of Barsalogho in north-central Burkina Faso on Saturday, multiple sources said.
Denouncing the 鈥榗owardly and barbaric attack鈥�, Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo said it was carried out by 鈥榟ordes of criminals鈥�.
The assailants targeted 鈥榳omen, children, elderly, men, making no distinction鈥�, Ouedraogo said on national television.
A local resident said by phone that the assault happened around 9:00am on Saturday, when 鈥榯errorist groups attacked the village, killing numerous civilians and security personnel鈥�.
A security source who asked not to be named said there were 鈥榮everal dozen dead鈥� including civilians and security forces.
Most of the 鈥榥umerous wounded鈥� were taken to a hospital in the regional capital of Kaya, some 45 kilometres away, the source added.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to another local resident, the victims were mainly 鈥榶oung civilians, who came out in large numbers to help the soldiers dig trenches around the town, to protect themselves from possible attacks by armed terrorist groups鈥�.
A second security source said that 鈥榯he response of the soldiers鈥� and auxiliary troops 鈥榤ade it possible to neutralise several terrorists and avoid a greater tragedy鈥�.
According to a hospital source in Kaya, more than 100 wounded people were taken to the city鈥檚 largest medical centre.
The chief of the centre called on all personnel to come in to deal with the 鈥榚mergency linked to a massive influx of patients since the morning of Saturday August 24鈥�, according to an internal note seen by AFP.
Security minister Mahamadou Sana said civilians were killed in the attack, despite 鈥榓 response and air support鈥�.
Soldiers and members of a civilian force that supports the military 鈥� Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland 鈥� were also killed according to Sana.
After taking power in a putsch in September 2022, Burkina鈥檚 coup leaders expelled troops and diplomats from former colonial ruler France, and have turned to Russia for military assistance.