BURKINA FASO: Armed groups kill 60, wound 20 in separate attacks

An attack on a cattle market and a humanitarian convoy, in Burkina Faso by an armed group left no fewer than 35 people dead and 20 others seriously injured, a government statement revealed on Sunday.

Another attack by armed militants near the northern village of Foube left 25 people dead including scores of civilians and five military police officers who were standing guard at a checkpoint in the area.

The statement noted that; “Armed groups targeted a humanitarian convoy returning from Foube after delivering supplies.

“A further 20 people were wounded in the convoy attack. No group has claimed responsibility,” the statement added.

This came weeks after a Canadian woman and her Italian partner who were both kidnapped in Burkina Faso in December 2018 were released to the United Nations in Mali.

The pair went missing two years ago while travelling through Burkina Faso, where armed groups with links to al-Qaeda and the ISIL (ISIS) group are active and have kidnapped Westerners in the past.