Hundreds of jihadists carried out simultaneous attacks in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, killing several dozen people - soldiers and civilians.

Members of al-Qaeda-linked Group for the support of Islam and Muslims, (Jnim), carried out simultaneous attacks on Sunday on a military detachment and police posts in the northern town of Djibo, as well as other towns in the north of the country.

Extreme violence

Assailants arrived "by the hundreds" on motorcycles and vehicles, encircling the town, security and local sources told the French news agency AFP.

While there is no official death toll, witnesses told RFI that the attack was of an extreme violence, and several dozen people were killed. At least twenty civilians were buried Sunday, and others were to be buried Monday.

The jihadists took over the camp and looted it, and attacked parts of the town, burning houses and parading through the streets.

The military junta that took over in 2022 has not reacted to the attacks, which occurred as junta leader Ibrahim Traoré was on his way back to the capital Ouagadougou after a visit to Moscow to discuss cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The junta rarely communicates about attacks and regularly claims to have taken back territory from jihadists.

The country has long endured attacks by armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State armed group, and more than 26,000 civilians and soldiers have died since 2015, more than half in the past three years, according to the NGO Acled, which tracks victims of conflict.

(with newswires)