OUAGADOUGOU: Authorities said that 44 people were killed in two attacks. Attacks happened in northern Burkina Faso overnight on Thursday by people who were not known.
The raids happened in the villages of Kourakou and Tondobi in the Sahel region of the West African country. This is an area where militant groups have been attacking repeatedly for years. Said militants have alleged ties to al Qaeda and Islamic State
It is not clear who was behind the attacks on Thursday. Saturday, the government said that “armed terrorist groups” were to blame.
Violence in Burkina Faso, one of the poorest countries in the world, has forced more than 2 million people to leave their homes and killed thousands.
The unrest led to two military coups last year. The military has promised to take back control of the country, but it has not been able to stop the violence.
When Islamists took over a Tuareg separatist uprising in Mali in 2012, it was the first sign of trouble in the area. Since then, the violence has spread to Burkina Faso and Niger, which are nearby countries. This could cause instability in coastal countries farther away.
