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At least 14 killed in attack on Burkina Faso church

Monday December 02 2019
burkina_map

A map showing part of western, northern and central Africa with a pin indicating the position of Burkina Faso's capital Ougadougou. At least 14 people were shot dead in an attack on a church in eastern Burkina Faso on December 1, 2019. PHOTO | GOOGLE

By REUTERS

Ouagadougou,

At least 14 people were shot dead in an attack on a church in eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday morning, the government said.

The identity of the gunmen was not immediately clear and further details on the attack had yet to emerge. Burkinabe armed forces were caring for the wounded and searching the area, the government said in a statement.

This year an Islamist insurgency has ignited ethnic and religious tensions in Burkina Faso, rendering large parts of the country ungovernable, especially in northern areas bordering restive Mali.

The attack took place in the village of Hantoukoura near the border with Niger in the Est region, an area known for banditry that has come under attack over the past year from suspected jihadist groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

On November 6 gunmen opened fire on a convoy of buses carrying mine workers in the Est region, killing 39.

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