Around 60 people were killed in Karma, a village located in Burkina Faso's northern Yatenga province, by bandits "wearing military uniforms," Lamine Kabore, high court prosecutor of the provinces' capital Ouahigouya told media.
"About 60 people were killed by people wearing the uniforms of our national armed forces," Kabore stated. "The wounded have been evacuated and are currently being taken care of within our health facilities."
According to media reports, witnesses have seen more than 100 people riding bikes and "wearing the uniforms of [Burkina Faso] national armed forces."
The attacks are being blamed on jihadists, whose number is reported to have been increasing in the West African country.
In recent months, Burkina Faso has faced an increase in jihadist activity, particularly since the beginning of the year, when several dozen deaths of soldiers and civilians at the hands of terrorists were reported. Against this background, the country's interim leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, announced the government's goal to "retake" the territory occupied by terrorists and intensify the army's operations against them.
As part of these efforts, the Burkinabe government has organized at least three recruitment campaigns in less than a year. Last month, the "exceptional recruitment" of 5,000 soldiers was announced to serve in the army for five years.
Moreover, earlier this month, the country's authorities declared a "general mobilization" to give the state "all necessary means" to combat a string of jihadist attacks and to recapture all of the country's territory which remains under jihadist control.
* Al-Qaeda and Daesh are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries around the world.