Ouagadougou, May 27, (dpa/GNA) - Around 50 civilians were killed in an attack Thursday in the west African nation of Burkina Faso.
An army spokesman said the victims were from the Madjoari region. They were on their way to Nadiagou when they encountered armed attackers on a bridge who opened fire.
He said the army was securing the area. The military did not initially give any more details on the perpetrators.
Eleven soldiers were killed in a similar attack in Burkina Faso’s east only days earlier.
The country of 21 million people is part of the Sahel region and has been facing a severe humanitarian crisis since 2019.
Armed groups, some who have sworn allegiance to the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, are active there and in the neighbouring countries of Mali and Niger.
Protracted droughts and famines also plague the country, which is impoverished despite rich gold deposits. The military has ruled there since a coup in January.
GNA