ISLAMABAD – Armed men have stormed a mosque in Burkina Faso as worshipperswere praying inside, killing at least 16 people and sending residentsfleeing, security sources said.
The attack took place at the Grand Mosque in the northern village ofSalmossi on Friday evening in the Oudalan region bordering Mali.
One source told AFP news agency that 13 people died on the spot and threesuccumbed to their injuries later. Two of the wounded were in criticalcondition.
“Since this morning, people have started to flee the area,” a resident ofthe nearby town of Gorom-Gorom told AFP.
He said there was a “climate of panic, despite military reinforcements”that were deployed after the deadly attack.
A security source and a local official told Reuters news agency about 15people were killed in the attack.
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The identities of the gunmen were not yet clear.
In recent years, Burkina Faso has seen a surge in violence linked to armedgroups, including al-Qaedalink and theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISILlink or ISIS).
The groups, who crossed into Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali, haveignited ethnic and religious tensions, especially in northern regions.
Combining guerrilla hit-and-run tactics with road mines and suicidebombings, the fighters have killed nearly 600 people, according to a tollcompiled by AFP. Civil society groups put the number at more than 1,000,with attacks taking place on almost a daily basis. -APP/AFP
