Sawadogo denounced "those who continue to wreak death and desolation in our country" and called for peace and security in Burkina Faso.
Digital Desk: At least 15 civilians were killed and two others injured during a "terrorist" attack on a Catholic church during Sunday mass in northern Burkina Faso, a senior church official said.
"We bring to your attention a terrorist attack which the Catholic community of Essakane village was the victim of today, February 25, while they were gathered for Sunday prayer," the vicar of the Dori diocese, Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, said in a statement sent to AFP.
He said that the initial tally was 15 killed and 2 injured.
Sawadogo denounced "those who continue to wreak death and desolation in our country" and called for peace and security in Burkina Faso.
This is simply the most recent in a string of crimes attributed to jihadist organizations operating in the area; some have involved the kidnapping of clergy members, while others have targeted Christian churches.
Part of the vast Sahel area, Burkina Faso has been caught up in the fight against violent extremism since the 2011 Libyan civil war and the 2012 Islamist seizure of northern Mali.
Beginning in 2015, the jihadist insurgency spread to Niger and Burkina Faso.
The country has experienced two coups in less than a year, the first in 2022, led by Captain Ibrahim Traore. Both coups were partly caused by dissatisfaction with the government's inability to stop radical Islamist violence.
This violence has resulted in almost two million people being displaced from Burkina Faso and about 20,000 deaths.
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