About 60 civilians were killed in the village of Karma in northern Burkina Faso by attackers dressed in military uniforms, according to the local prosecutor.
Survivors claim that over 100 people on motorbikes and pick-up trucks raided the village and killed dozens of men and young people.
This attack came just a week after 34 defense volunteers and six soldiers were killed by suspected jihadists. Burkina Faso is battling an insurgency that originated in neighboring Mali and is plagued by attacks by suspected jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Burkina Faso’s transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traore, has declared a goal of recapturing the 40 percent of the country’s territory controlled by jihadists.
Non-governmental aid groups estimate that the violence has left over 10,000 people dead and has displaced two million others. In response to the escalating violence, Burkina Faso’s military junta declared a “general mobilization” to give the state “all necessary means” to combat these attacks.
Meanwhile, the government plans to recruit 5,000 more soldiers to battle the insurgency. The military has also vowed to stage elections for a civilian government by 2024.
