UN condemns mosque attack in Burkina Faso

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday (local time) strongly condemned the attack on a mosque in northern Burkina Faso, which killed at least 15 worshipers.

The attack took place in the village of Salmossi in the northern province of Oudalan on Friday evening (local time) but was not reported until Saturday (local time), according to Xinhua news agency.

The Secretary-General expressed his deep condolences to the families of the deceased and the government and the people of Burkina Faso.

Guterres also wished a speedy recovery to the injured, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The Secretary-General reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to work with Burkina Faso to promote social cohesion and ensure the country stays on the path toward sustainable development, said the statement.

Earlier on Saturday, the head of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Angel Moratinos, also condemned the attack.

Moratinos stressed that all forms of violence and acts of terror targeting religious sites and worshipers, regardless of their faiths and beliefs, are unjustifiable, his spokesperson, Nihal Saad, further said in a statement.

Moratinos also reiterated that houses of worship should not be sites for bloodshed and terror, said the statement.

Local reports said the deadly attack took place during prayers on Friday evening when unidentified gunmen opened fire inside the Grand Mosque in the northern village of Salmossi in the Oudalan region bordering Mali.