At least 15 civilians were killed and two others injured during attack on a Catholic church during Sunday mass in northern Burkina Faso, a senior church official said.
Catholic faithful were gathered for Sunday service at the church in Essakane village, located in the Sahel region of the West African nation, said a statement by Monsignor Laurent Dabire, bishop of the diocese of the town of Dori, 45 kilometers (27 miles) south of the attack.
"It is in faith and hope that we bring to your attention the terrorist attack of which the Catholic community was the victim. The provisional toll is 15 faithful killed, including 12 on the spot and two injured," said the statement.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting.
“In this painful circumstance, we invite you to pray for the rest in God for those who have died in faith, for the healing of the wounded and … for the conversion of those who continue to sow death and desolation in our country,” Sawadogo said in a statement.
The shooting took place in a region where armed groups have carried out several attacks, some of which have targeted Christian churches while others have involved the abduction of clergy.
About half of Burkina Faso is outside government control, as armed groups have ravaged the country for years. Fighters have killed thousands and displaced more than two million people, further threatening the stability of the nation, which experienced two coups in 2022.
The country’s military rulers have struggled to restore peace in violent areas since the first coup in January 2022. The number of people killed by armed groups has nearly tripled compared with the 18 previous months, according to an August 2023 report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
About half of Burkina Faso is outside government control as jihadi groups have ravaged the country for years. Fighters have killed thousands and displaced more than 2 million people, further threatening the stability of the country that had two coups in 2022.
The country's junta has struggled to restore peace in violence hot spots since the first coup in January 2022, the number of people killed by jihadis has nearly tripled compared with the 18 previous months, according to a report by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in August.
In addition to the junta's limited capacity, the security situation also has been worsened by the country's porous borders with Mali and Niger, both of which are also run by juntas and which also struggle with security crises.
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