APA-Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) Burkina Faso has witnessed atrocities blamed on armed groups for more than seven years.
It was a bloody weekend for Burkina Faso. After the Christian community, it became the turn of the Muslim community to be targeted by a terrorist attack on Sunday.
“Individuals without faith or law blindly and cowardly perpetrated yet another vile and cowardly attack against a mosque in Natiaboani in the east of the country, causing the death of several worshippers, including the local imam,” the Federation of Islamic Associations of Burkina Faso (FAIB) said.
A security source who confirmed the incident spoke of a “large-scale attack” on a mosque in Natiaboani, in the district of Fada Ngourma (east), on Sunday at around 05:00 (local and GMT), prayer time.
The Muslim community put the death toll at 14 worshippers, including two who died later in hospital.
Our sources speak of “several dozen Muslim worshippers killed” and others injured.
The FAIB denounced the “unjustifiable cruel acts” that also targeted a Catholic church in Essakane-Village, in the north of the country, on the same day.
The provisional death toll from this incident was 15 worshippers killed and two others wounded, reported the diocese of Dori.
The country has been facing atrocities by armed groups for almost eight years.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), an NGO specialising in monitoring security incidents, 2023 witnessed a large number of security incidents, some 1,699 between January and December 2023.
DS/ac/fss/as/APA