Between 12 and 14 people were killed last week in northern Burkina Faso, an area overrun by jihadist rebels, local residents said Monday.
A “terrorist group” on Thursday attacked the village of Aorema, near the town of Ouahigouya, one local resident told AFP. The attack was confirmed by a security source, who did not give a toll.
“The attackers opened fire on a group of young people” sitting in an informal restaurant, one resident said.
“Seven died on the spot and three died in their houses hit by bullets. Two others died of injuries,” the source said.
Another resident said the death toll rose to 14 from other people who died of injuries.
The source said that “terrorists” had earlier stormed the village and warned the children not to gather at the restaurant.
A source in the security forces who confirmed the attack said “an operation is underway” against the attackers.
The day after the attack, the authorities put the Northern region, as well as part of the central-eastern region, under curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. until March 31.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in Burkina Faso since jihadists invaded from neighboring Mali in 2015, more than two million people have fled their homes and at least a third of the country is controlled by rebels.
A shock wave of violence led to two coups last year by army officers angered by the government’s failure to rein in the jihadists.
The country’s most recent leader is Captain Ibrahim Traore, who took power last September at the age of 34, vowing to retake territory seized by jihadists.
But attacks have risen sharply since the start of the year, with dozens of casualties each week among civilians and security forces.
One of the biggest losses was on February 17, when an ambush in the north, claimed by the Islamic State group, killed 51 soldiers, according to a provisional army count.