"The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers," Al Jazeera quoted the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, as saying in a statement

Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso): At least four people lost their lives after a group of heavily armed individuals attacked a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday morning.

"The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers," Al Jazeera quoted the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, as saying in a statement.

"The attack left four of the faithful dead," the bishop added. The attack, which took place in the town of Toulfe located 240 kilometres northwest of Ouagadougou, marked the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region.

"The attack caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush," a local resident told Al Jazeera. Last week, gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass.

However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks that threatened the existence of peaceful relations between majority Muslims and Christians, who make up one-quarter of the country.

The government of Burkina Faso blamed unnamed armed groups operating in the country and Africa's surrounding Sahel region.

France has deployed nearly 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help the local forces combat armed groups operating in the region.

French Special Forces, this month, also freed four foreign hostages in the former French colony during an overnight raid that killed two soldiers.
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Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates </s> Four people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso, the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region.

"The Christian community of Toulfe was the target of a terrorist attack gathered for Sunday prayers," the bishop of Ouahigouya, Justin Kientega, said in a statement on Sunday. "The attack left four of the faithful dead."

A security source told AFP news agency "heavily armed individuals attacked the church … as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass" in the town of Toulfe, 240km northwest of the capital Ouagadougou.

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"[The attack] caused panic in the village and many residents sought cover in their homes or in the bush," a local resident said.

Last week, gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks that threaten to upend traditionally peaceful relations between majority Muslims and Christians who make up one-quarter of the country.

The government has blamed unnamed armed groups operating in the country and Africa's surrounding Sahel region.

Raids began in 2015 in the north before singling out Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since 2015 - mainly in hit-and-run raids, according to an AFP tally.

Armed groups target Christian clergy as well as Muslim scholar they do not consider sufficiently conservative in a country where traditionally both religions have co-existed peaceably.

France has deployed 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission code named Barkhane to help local forces flush out fighters.

French special forces this month freed four foreign hostages in the former French colony during an overnight raid that killed two soldiers. </s> In the latest attack on Christians in Burkina Faso, four people have died after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in the north of the country.

The targeting of Toulfe’s Christian community, 240km north-west of the capital Ouagadougou, as they gathered for Sunday prayers was just the latest in a string of attacks on their places of worship in the region, Al Jazeera reported.

Four Catholics taking part in a religious procession last week were killed by gunmen only days after a priest and five others were murdered at mass.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the government asserts that unarmed groups operating in the country and the surrounding Sahel region are to blame.

The Sahel has been plagued by militant groups that have not only attacked Christians but also Muslim scholars considered insufficiently conservative.

To help local forces fight the extremists, France has deployed 4,500 troops to Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.

Earlier this month, French special forces freed four foreign hostages who had been kidnapped by extremists, resulting in the death of the two of the soldiers.

In February the G5 Sahel nations – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger – gathered in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou and implored the UN to provide more funding and other aid to help their G5 Sahel Joint Force battle the cross-border insurgency, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and security personnel while inflicting crippling economic damage.

Since 2015 alone at least 400 people have been killed in the Sahel by the militants.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android. </s> The killing came as a result of a fresh attack on a Catholic church in Toulfe, northern Burkina Faso.

"The attack, which took place around 09:00 (local and GMT), killed at least three and injured several people," the AFP reported.

The latest attack comes after media reported that six people, including a priest, were killed on 12 May in an assault on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso.

The attacks comes as the authorities of Burkina Faso have launched a massive anti-terrorist operation in the eastern and central-eastern regions of the country, Sputnik news reports. </s> 3 dead in new attack on Burkina Faso church

OUAGADOUGOU; Three people were killed Sunday at a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso in the latest in a series of attacks on Christian targets in the region, a security source said.

“Heavily armed individuals attacked the church... as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass” in the town of Toulfe, the source said, adding that three people were killed. Last week gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, the day after a priest and five parishioners were murdered at mass. Also last week, French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the former French colony during an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers.

Burkina Faso’s population is around two-thirds Muslim and one-third Christian. The semi-desert country has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of jihadist groups. </s> OUAGADOUGOU: Three people were killed Sunday at a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso in the latest in a series of attacks on Christian targets in the region, a security source said.

"Heavily armed individuals attacked the church... as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass" in the town of Toulfe, the source said, adding that three people were killed. Last week gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, the day after a priest and five parishioners were murdered at mass.

Also last week, French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the former French colony during an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers. Burkina Faso's population is around two-thirds Muslim and one-third Christian. The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east. </s> OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO (AFP) – Gunmen killed a priest and five church-goers during mass on Sunday (May 12) in an attack on a Catholic church in Dablo, northern Burkina Faso, security sources and local official said.

“Towards 9am, during mass, armed individuals burst into the Catholic church,” the mayor of Dablo, Mr Ousmane Zongo, told AFP.

“They started firing as the congregation tried to flee.”

The gunmen managed to trap some of the worshippers, he added.

“They killed five of them. The priest, who was celebrating mass, was also killed, bringing the number of dead to six.”

The attackers set fire to the church, several shops and a small cafe before heading to the local health centre, which they looted and burnt the chief nurse’s vehicle, said Mr Zongo.

Sunday’s attack was the latest of a series carried out against Christian churches in Burkina Faso.

Last Sunday, gunmen killed five people in an attack on a Protestant church in the small northern town of Silgadji. </s> Three people were killed Sunday at a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso in the latest in a series of attacks on Christian targets in the region, a security source said.

"Heavily armed individuals attacked the church... as the faithful were celebrating Sunday mass" in the town of Toulfe, the source said, adding that three people were killed.

Last week gunmen killed four Catholics in a religious procession, the day after a priest and five parishioners were murdered at mass.

Also last week, French special forces freed four foreign hostages in the former French colony during an overnight raid that cost the lives of two soldiers.

Burkina Faso's population is around two-thirds Muslim and one-third Christian.

The semi-desert country has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of terrorist groups, including Daesh terror group's Greater Sahara branch.

The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.

Nearly 400 people have been killed since 2015 -- mainly in hit-and-run raids -- according to an AFP tally.

Terrorist groups have targeted both Christian and Muslim clerics in a country where traditionally both religions have co-existed peaceably.

France has deployed 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help local forces flush out terrorists. </s> At least 28 killed in 'terrorist attacks' on Burkina Faso army HQ, French embassy

Unidentified gunmen killed one pastor and five congregants in an attack on a Protestant church in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, government spokesman Remy Fulgance Dandjinou said Monday, in the latest violence to rock the formerly peaceful west African nation.

Sunday's raid took place in the small northern town of Silgadji near Djibo, the capital of Soum province.

"Unidentified armed individuals have attacked the Protestant church in Silgadji, killing four members of the congregation and the main pastor," a security source told AFP.

"At least two other people are missing," the source added.

It was the first attack on a church since violence erupted in Burkina Faso in 2015.

Former colonial ruler France has deployed some 4,500 troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad in a mission codenamed Barkhane to help local forces try to flush out terrorist groups.

"The attack happened around 1 p.m., just as the faithful were leaving the church at the end of the service," a member of the church who did not want to be identified told AFP.

"The attackers were on motorbikes. They fired in the air before aiming at the members of the congregation," the witness added.

Burkina Faso has suffered from increasingly frequent and deadly attacks attributed to a number of terrorist groups, including Daesh terror group's Greater Sahara branch.

The raids began in 2015 in the north before targeting the capital Ouagadougou and other regions, notably in the east.

A total of 350 people have been killed since 2015 -- mainly in hit-and-run raids -- according to an AFP tally.

The terrorist groups regularly target both Muslim and Christian clerics, mainly in the north.

In February, a Spanish Catholic priest, Father Cesar Fernandez, was killed in a raid attributed to terrorists in Nohao in the center of the country. He was returning from the adjoining country of Togo when it happened.

Fernandez, 72, had been working in Africa since 1982 for the Salesians of Don Bosco order.

In March, gunmen abducted Catholic priest Father Joel Yougbare from Botogui, near Djibo, in the north. The Catholic Church has not yet confirmed reports that his body has since been found.

Several imams, targeted by the terrorists for supposedly collaborating with authorities, have also been killed in the north, security sources say.

But religious leaders are not the only people targeted by the terrorists. On Friday, terrorists attacked a village school in Maitaougou, in the eastern province of Koulpelogo, killing five teachers and a municipal worker.

Human Right Watch's Sahel director Corinne Dufka recently said that the surge in terrorist violence and a government crackdown had "forced tens of thousands of villagers to flee since early 2019."

"Scores of people have been murdered in what amounts to a dramatic deterioration in the rights situation in northern Burkina Faso," she said last month.

Dufka said villagers live in fear as both the terrorists and government troops "have demonstrated utter disregard for human life."

Around 4.3 million people have been driven from their homes in the worsening violence that has engulfed the entire Sahel region, including 1 million over the past year, according to U.N. humanitarian officials.
Four people are killed in an attack on a Catholic church in northern Burkina Faso, the latest in a string of assaults on Christian places of worship in the region.