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Three killed in jihadist-hit Burkina region
OUAGADOUGOU, Aug 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Three people were killed in a
village in northern Burkina Faso on Tuesday, in a hit-and-run raid bearing
the hallmark of jihadist insurgents, officials said.
“Four armed individuals on motorbikes attacked the village of Kourao,
killing three civilians,” a security official said on Wednesday.
The village is located in the province of Bam, 45 kilometres (28 miles)
south of the town of Kongoussi.
“The victims were executed, causing panic in the village,” a local official
said, adding the attack was “carried out by suspected terrorists.”
A former French colony that ranks among one of the poorest countries in the
world, Burkina Faso has been struggling with an Islamist revolt since 2015.
The insurgency, which came from neighbouring Mali, began in the north but
has since spread to the east.
More than 500 people have died, according to a toll compiled by AFP.
Bam province has suffered a string of deadly assaults this year.
In May, four people were killed in Zimtenga, 25 kms from Kongoussi, during
a Catholic religious procession.
In June, about 10 people were killed in attacks on three villages in
Bourzanga district.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1636 hrs