OUAGADOUGOU: Suspected jihadists attack on a camp for internally displaced people in northern Burkina Faso has left eight dead, Western media reported on Thursday.
The armed men targeted the camp at Wendou, Seno province, the latest attack in the West African country.
A local told media that eight people had been killed while around 10 others were wounded. Another resident said the camp had hosted displaced people for over three years. He added that the shooting continued for more than an hour.
According to reports, the number of victims could be higher because several people are missing. Some people have left the camp after the attack.
Measures taken to ensure security, safety of camp
A security source told media that measures had been taken to ensure the security and safety of the camp’s residents.
Burkina Faso is combating a jihadist insurgency that swept in from neighbouring Mali since 2015.
More than 17,000 civilians and troops have been killed in jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso, according to data prepared by an NGO monitor called the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
Over two million people have been dislodged within the country, making it one of Africa’s highest internal displacement crises.
