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Children aged 12 to 14 carried out the attack that killed over 130 in Burkina Faso

WION Web Team
OuagadougouUpdated: Jun 25, 2021, 12:01 PM IST
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A view shows damaged buildings and huts at the site of an attack in the village of Solhan, in Yagha province bordering Niger, Burkina Faso June 7, 2021. Photograph:(Reuters)

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The attackers had struck during the night, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger. They also burned homes and the market, the government said in a statement.

The government of Burkina Faso and the United Nations said the attack, which killed more than 130 people earlier this month, was carried out primarily by minors aged 12 to 14.

On June 4, gunmen stormed the village of Solhan, shooting villagers and setting fire to their homes.

In Burkina Faso, jihadists have used child soldiers to carry out attacks. 

Watch | Burkina Faso Massacre: Biggest attack in country's history

The attackers had struck during the night, killing residents of the village of Solhan in Yagha province, bordering Niger. They also burned homes and the market, the government said in a statement.

Despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers, attacks by jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in West Africa's Sahel region have risen sharply since the start of the year, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, with civilians bearing the brunt.

The violence in Burkina Faso has displaced more than 1.14 million people in just over two years, while the poor, arid country is hosting some 20,000 refugees from neighbouring Mali.

The latest attack pushes the number killed by armed Islamists in the Sahel region to over 500 since January, according to Human Rights Watch's West Africa director, Corinne Dufka.

In March, attackers killed 137 people in coordinated raids on villages in southwestern Niger.

(With inputs from agencies)