Burkina Faso churches attacked

This item appears on page 18 of the July 2019 issue.

At least three churches in Burkina Faso have been attacked in 2019 in an uptick of Islamist violence in the West African country.

In April, four people were killed when a Catholic church was attacked in the village of Dori. The attackers also destroyed parts of the village.

Also in April, a Protestant church in the town of Silgadji was targeted by gunmen on motorcycles. They killed six people.

On May 12, a Catholic church in the city of Dablo was attacked by at least 20 armed men during Mass. At least six people were killed, including the priest.

No group or groups have taken responsibility for any of the attacks. Small Islamist militant groups allied with al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIL) are known to be active in the country.