Suspected jihadists wrecked havoc on a mosque in northeastern Burkina Faso, leaving nine muslim faithful dead.
A source said, the incident took place on Wednesday in the village of Goulgountou in Burkina’s Sahel region, claiming the gunmen hit the scene on motorcycles and thereby executed the worshippers.
“They separated out the women, children and elderly and then made sermons to try to convince worshippers of abandoning” their form of faith, the source said.
“A discussion even started up with the imam, and because he refused he was executed,” the source said.
“They tried to cut his throat, but he fought back, saying he wanted to die standing up, so the terrorists shot him in the head,” a local resident said, adding that he had attended the victims’ funeral on Thursday.
“Eight other worshippers, mainly community leaders, were shot dead in the same way.”
Goulgountou is situated around the gold mining town of Falagountou, bordering Niger Republic.
The area has suffered several incursions by suspected jihadists since the start of the week, the sources said.
Scores of people have lost their lives as more than two million people have been estranged from their homes since jihadists began launching attacks on Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali in 2015.
