PRETORIA – The UN has condemned the killing of 24 people in an attack on Sunday during a service at a Protestant church in Burkina Faso's Yagha province, the international organisation's secretary-general António Guterres said in a statement.
“The secretary-general extends his deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of those killed. He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. He stresses that the perpetrators of this horrendous crime, and the series of others that have preceded it, must be brought to justice.
"The secretary-general reiterates the commitment of the UN to support Burkina Faso in the fight against violent extremism and the achievement of sustainable peace and development,” said the statement issued by the spokesperson for Guterres.
News website Today Nigeria says it is not immediately clear who is responsible for the attack in the village of Pansi, but the area has had several such incidents where jihadists target Christians.
The governor of the region, Colonel Salfo Kabore, said a group of armed terrorists raided the village and attacked local residents.
"The provisional toll is 24 killed, including the pastor ... 18 wounded and individuals who were kidnapped," UK publication Daily Mail quoted Kabore as saying.
Pansi villagers fled to the nearby town of Sebba for safety, the Daily Mail said, citing a Sebba resident.
Since 2015, some 750 people have been killed in Burkina Faso and about 600,000 have fled their homes in jihadist attacks, the Daily Mail said.
The UN said attacks in Burkina Faso, as well as neighbouring Mali and Niger, left nearly 4,000 people dead last year.