United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the recent deadly attack in Burkina Faso, expressing condolences to the families of the victims, which include several children, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said.
A source told Sputnik on Saturday that at least 11 people were killed and several others were injured in an armed attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso.
"The Secretary-General is outraged by the killing, early today, of over a hundred civilians, including seven children, in an attack by unidentified assailants on a village in the Province of Yagha, in the Sahel Region of Burkina Faso. He strongly condemns the heinous attack and underscores the urgent need for the international community to redouble support to Member States in the fight against violent extremism and its unacceptable human toll," Dujarric said in a Saturday statement.
According to the spokesperson, the Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the victims’ families, as well as to the government and people of Burkina Faso.
"He wishes those injured a speedy recovery and conveys the United Nations full support to the authorities in their efforts to overcome the threats to the peace, stability and unity of the country," Dujarric said.
According to the Sputnik source, unknown gunmen ambushed the village in the Yagha province on Saturday morning, storming houses, and fled the scene a few minutes later. The country's military deployed reinforcements to the area, the source said.
Burkina Faso is located in the region of Sahel, notorious for terrorist activity and illegal migration. In 2014, France launched Operation Barkhane in the Sahel. It is being held jointly with the military forces of the G5 Sahel bloc that includes Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania.