Burkina Faso : Church and Mosque Targeted in a Series of Deadly Attacks

Loss of life was reported on Sunday following an attack on a mosque in Natiaboani, in eastern Burkina Faso, according to security and local sources.

According to a security source, armed individuals targeted the mosque around 5 a.m., resulting in the deaths of several dozen people. Another local source described the assault, explaining that the assailants arrived in the town early in the morning, surrounded the mosque, and opened fire on the worshipers gathered for morning prayers. A significant religious leader is among the victims.

On the same day, another attack occurred in northern Burkina Faso, where terrorists opened fire during a mass at a Catholic church, killing at least fifteen people and injuring two.

In addition to these attacks, several others were carried out by hundreds of terrorists riding motorcycles and supported by vehicles equipped with heavy machine guns. These attacks targeted several localities, including Pensa, Natiaboani, Kongoussi, Ouahigouya, and Tankoualo. Military installations such as the Tankoualou military detachment in the east, the 16th Rapid Intervention Battalion near Kongoussi in the north, as well as a mixed battalion in the Ouahigouya area were targeted.

The first terrorist assault was reported on Friday, February 23, 2024, around 6 p.m. in Pensa, in the central-north, where a post of the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland was attacked.