Jihadist attack leaves two civilians dead in eastern Burkina

A jihadist attack on a gendarme base in eastern Burkina Faso left two civilians dead along with nine assailants, the police said Wednesday.

The attack took place in Tanwalbougou on Monday, it said in a statement, praising "the determination and professionalism" of the gendarmes in repelling the attack.

The two civilians who were killed, along with 14 who were injured, were passengers on buses that were in the area when the attack took place, the statement said.

One of the assailants was captured along with arms, munitions, cell phones and motorbikes, it said.

Jihadist groups have killed nearly 800 people in Burkina Faso and displaced 600,000 more since the start of 2015, when extremist violence began to spread from neighbouring Mali, according to UN figures.

Located in the heart of the vast Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara, the country is is one of the poorest in the world.

The north and east of the former French colony have been especially hard hit, while the capital Ouagadougou has suffered three attacks.