Armed Attackers Kill 50 Civilians In Eastern Burkina Faso

At least 50 civilians have been killed by unidentified gunmen in the town of Madjoari in eastern Burkina Faso, an official said Thursday.

Residents from Madjoari in Kompienga province bordering Benin were heading to Nadiagou in the town of Pama, fleeing violence, when they were targeted Wednesday by unidentified armed men near Singou bridge, East Region governor Hubert Yameogo said in a statement.

Offering his condolences to the bereaved families, Yameogo said security operations were underway to restore peace.

The residents of Madjoari are "under a terrorism threat" the statement said.

The latest attack brought the death toll in the area to nearly 80 people within the space of two weeks.

On May 14, an attack on civilians in the same area left 17 dead and seven injured.

In another incident on May 19, an attack targeting the military detachment of Madjoari left 11 soldiers dead and 20 others injured.

There were around 60 civilians, but the gunmen freed women and some elderly people among them, a survivor of the incident told local media.

The victims were reportedly tied up and transported to the camp of the assailants, where they were executed by shooting.

Burkina Faso has been battling an insurgency that has spread from neighboring Mali over the past decade. ​​​​​​​ -