Deadly Terrorist Attacks Targeting Places of Worship in Burkina Faso

A mosque in Natiaboani, eastern Burkina Faso, was attacked by armed individuals, resulting in several dozen deaths. The victims were Muslims, mostly men, who had come for morning prayers. The terrorists entered the town early morning, surrounded the mosque, and shot at the faithful, who were gathered for the first prayer of the day.

Soldiers and members of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), a civilian force that supports the military, were also targeted. The attack was described as a “large-scale attack” in terms of the number of assailants and wreaked substantial damage.

Natiaboani is a rural community about 60 kilometers south of Fada N’Gour ma, the main town in Burkina’s eastern region, which has seen regular attacks by armed groups since 2018.

On the same day, at least 15 civilians were killed and two others injured during an attack on a Catholic church during Sunday mass in northern Burkina Faso. The “terrorist attack” occurred in the village of Essakane, located in the “three borders” zone near the common borders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.