ISLAMABAD - Armed men have stormed a mosque in Burkina Faso as worshippers were praying inside, killing at least 16 people and sending residents fleeing, security sources said.
The attack took place at the Grand Mosque in the northern village of Salmossi on Friday evening in the Oudalan region bordering Mali.
One source told AFP news agency that 13 people died on the spot and three succumbed to their injuries later. Two of the wounded were in critical condition.
"Since this morning, people have started to flee the area," a resident of the 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 15 people were killed in the attack.
The identities of the gunmen were not yet clear.
In recent years, Burkina Faso has seen a surge in violence linked to armed groups, including al-Qaeda link and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL link or ISIS).
The groups, who crossed into Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali, have ignited ethnic and religious tensions, especially in northern regions.
Combining guerrilla hit-and-run tactics with road mines and suicide bombings, the fighters have killed nearly 600 people, according to a toll compiled by AFP. Civil society groups put the number at more than 1,000, with attacks taking place on almost a daily basis. -APP/AFP