Death toll in Burkina jihadist massacre rises to 86

 

Burkina Faso’s strongman, Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, describes as “unimaginable” the jihadist attack that struck the village of Seytenga over the weekend, as he meets survivors. (video screen grab/PRESIDENCY OF BURKINA FASO / AFP)

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AFP) — The death toll from a weekend attack in northern Burkina Faso rose by seven, taking the number killed to 86, authorities said on Wednesday.

The massacre at the village of Seytenga is the second worst in the history of Burkina’s insurgency, which started in 2015 when jihadists launched cross-border raids from Mali.

Attacks mainly by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have since claimed thousands of lives, while nearly two million have fled their homes.

The previous toll in the Seytenga attack stood at 79.

Meanwhile, more than 600 people from Burkina fled to northern Togo in search of safety due to jihadist attacks in southeastern Burkina, Togo’s National Civil Protection Agency told AFP.

© Agence France-Presse