27 Killed in Attack on Village in Burkina Faso

An attack on a village in Burkina Faso has resulted in the death of 27 individuals, including women and children, according to an eyewitness account.

A witness, who requested anonymity, informed the German Press Agency on Sunday that the assault occurred in the remote village of Tissaugen in the Kolpelogo province, eastern Burkina Faso, as locals gathered on Friday to celebrate International Women's Day.

During the attack, Burkina Faso's interim president, Ibrahim Traore, who leads the military government, was visiting forces in the nearby towns of Tinkodogo and Bagre.

Traore urged soldiers to launch an offensive against Islamic militias terrorizing the country.

Estimates suggest that the Burkina Faso authorities control only about half of the territory of this West African nation, which has a population of 23 million.

Similar to its neighbors Mali and Niger, Burkina Faso has been under military rule since a coup in the autumn of 2022.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been engulfed in a cycle of violence perpetrated by terrorist groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda.