Six people including the priest, Father Simeon Yampa, were killed on Sunday during mass at a Catholic church in Dablo in northern Burkina Faso , according to state media.
BBC reports that a group of between 20 and 30 armed assailants burst into the Catholic church and started firing as the congregation tried to run for their life. This lead to the death of the priest and five worshippers on Sunday, in the northeastern town of Dablo about 200km from the capital Ouagadougou. According to the mayor, the attackers also burned down the church itself as well as several local buildings, including businesses and a health centre.
Urbain Kabore, a government spokesman for the West African country’s Sahel region, told Aljazeera news that “the attackers also destroyed all places serving alcohol”.
“The city is filled with panic. People are holed up in their homes, nothing is going on. The shops and stores are closed. It’s practically a ghost town,” the mayor said.
Sources have it that this is the third attack on a church in five weeks. Two weeks ago a similar bloodshed happened in Silgadji, also in the north. The pastor and several worshipers were killed. According to the Catholic Bishop in the case of Dori, four people were killed.
Help from Allies
France has deployed more than 4,000 troops to the region to help fight extremists operating in the country. The US has also sent some security forces to the area. Some African countries including Chad, Niger, and Mali has also stretched a helping hand to fight terrorism in the region.
By: Hope Ewudor || Chrife.com.gh
