By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Authorities have announced the killing of at least 60 persons in northern Burkina Faso, by militia men in military uniforms.
Burkina Faso’s prosecutor, Lamine Kabore in a statement on Sunday said the killings took place in the area of Barga, in Yatenga province.
He said those who sustained injuries have been evacuated to hospitals while an investigation into the killings has commenced.
“My office was alerted about the seriousness of some of the facts. I therefore gave instructions to the investigation unit to carry out investigations in order to illuminate the said facts and hear all the people who are involved,” he said.
Kabore said he received information of the killings on April 21.
It is not certain when the incident took place.
Jihadi fighters linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have waged a violent insurgency in Burkina Faso for seven years.
The violence has killed thousands of people, displaced some 2 million, and destabilized and divided the country, leading to two coups last year.
Since Capt. Ibrahim Traore seized power in September during the second coup, extrajudicial killings of civilians have increased according to rights groups and residents.
