Persecution News 2015: Christians in Burkina Faso attacked by terrorists
At least two individuals were left injured after suspected jihadists attacked Christians in Burkina Faso, West Africa on Monday.
Based on an account by an eyewitness, masked gunmen who identified themselves as members of the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram invaded a police station. Their actual connection to Nigeria's Boko Haram is not yet confirmed, according to Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).
A police statement said the two individuals wounded in the attack are police officers. One of the victims was severely injured, said First Post.
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In a statement to the Associated Press, witness Alassane Hamidou recounted how he went to a police station in Oursi and was greeted by masked gunmen after he knocked on the door. The assailants then told him to lie down on the floor, the CT Post reports.
"There are no police here now — it is Boko Haram from now on," the CT Post quotes Hamidou's statement to the AP. "We are looking for Christians, and you are spared because you are a Muslim."
The attack occurred near Burkina Faso's border with Mali and the military troops are reportedly on their way there to secure the area, the report adds.
Several Islamic extremist organizations exist in Mali, but Burkina Faso has been largely unaffected by the jihadist attacks that have shaken Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and other surrounding countries.
However, five months ago, a Romanian security official was abducted while working at a mine site in Burkina Faso, the report details.
In 2012, Islamic jihadists took over the northern desert in Mali. The following year, French military troops launched an attack against them. The militants were scattered after the attacks, but they were not defeated, Channel News Asia says.
Despite the attackers' claim that they were members of Boko Haram, no extremist group has claimed responsibility for the violent incident on Monday.
