14 civilians killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso: army

Fourteen civilians were killed in a jihadist attack in northern Burkina Faso near the Mali border, the military has said.

The army conducted raids in three northern provinces in response and said it had "neutralised" 146 militants, according to a report that AFP could not immediately confirm from an independent source.

The jihadist attack, which took place in the town of Kain in the Yatenta province bordering Mali, is one of the most serious recorded in the country.

Army spokesman Colonel Lamoussa Fofana said in a statement: "On the night of Sunday 3 to Monday, February 4, 2019 a terrorist attack in Kain left 14 civilian victims.

"In response to this attack, the national defence and security forces immediately began operations in the Kain, Banh (Loroum Province, north) and Bomboro (Kossi Province, northwest) areas.

"This counterattack... resulted in a land and air operation which neutralised 146 terrorists in the three areas," the statement said on Monday.

A military source confirmed to AFP that the term "neutralise" meant kill. The death toll from jihadist attacks has now risen to nearly 300 since 2015. The killings occurred on the eve of the G5 Sahel summit to be held in Ouagadougou on Tuesday.