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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBurkina Faso: At least 15 dead in Catholic church attackPublished19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Churches are among the buildings to be targeted in Burkina Faso in recent yearsBy Chris EwokorBBC News, AbujaAt least 15 people have been killed and two others injured following an attack on a Catholic church in north-eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday.It took place during Sunday worship in Essakane village in Oudalan province – close to the border with Mali. Few details have been given.A church official indicated the gunmen were suspected Islamist militants.There was no immediate response from the authorities in the West African country’s capital, Ouagadougou. A statement by the head of the local diocese, Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, said 12 people were killed instantly, while three others died at the hospital. “In this painful circumstance, we invite you to pray for those who died in faith, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolidation of grieving hearts,” the statement reads. It the latest atrocity in the country to be attributed to Islamist militants. More than a third of Burkina Faso is currently under the control of insurgents. The authorities have been battling Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which have taken over large swathes of land and displaced millions of people in the Sahel region.In the last three years, churches have been targeted and scores of worshippers killed. Burkina Faso, which is ruled by a military dictatorship, recently pulled out of the regional political and economic bloc, Ecowas, along with its Sahel neighbours, Mali and Niger. They cited lack of support from Ecowas in the fight against terrorism as one of the reasons for wanting to exit the union.The three junta-led countries had already been suspended from the bloc, which had been urging them to return to democratic rule.Earlier this month, Burkina Faso’s military-backed president Ibrahim Traoré said Russian troops could deploy to fight jihadists in the West African country if needed.Related TopicsBurkina FasoAfricaMore on this storyMilitary-led West African states leave EcowasPublished28 JanuaryNiger and Burkina Faso quit anti-Islamist G5 forcePublished3 December 2023Burkina Faso thanks Russia for ‘priceless’ wheat giftPublished27 JanuaryTop StoriesDeputy PM declines to say whether MP’s remarks were IslamophobicPublished3 hours agoZelensky says 31,000 troops killed in war in UkrainePublished2 hours ago’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout ChristiansPublished1 hour agoFeaturesThe converted landmark buildings given new lifeIn pictures: Celebrating the Lantern FestivalDissent is dangerous in Putin’s Russia, but activists refuse to give upThe winners and nominees at the SAG AwardsKim Petras on sexual liberation and fighting TikTokInside the long-abandoned tunnel beneath the ClydeHow a £525 bet gave birth to your morning commuteThe man who tried to eat every animal on Earth. VideoThe man who tried to eat every animal on EarthAfter 1,250 years women join Japan’s (nearly) naked festivalElsewhere on the BBCFancy a film tonight?There’s something for everyone on BBC iPlayerAttributioniPlayerHair-pulling, wrestling and kicking!Watch the moment a violent brawl unfolded in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerHow close are we to nuclear Armageddon?The Doomsday Clock is the closest it’s ever been to midnight – Jane Corbin investigatesAttributioniPlayerHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerMost Read1’Fewer children will be born’: Alabama embryo ruling divides devout Christians2Saltburn TikToker says trespassers are ‘a shame’3Zelensky says 31,000 troops killed in war in Ukraine4Post Office hires ex-police to check its investigators5The converted landmark buildings given new life6Garbisi missed penalty denies Italy historic winAttributionSport7Dowden declines to say whether MP’s remarks Islamophobic8Israel mulls ceasefire plan as progress reported9Inside the long-abandoned tunnel beneath the Clyde10Liverpool win EFL Cup with Van Dijk extra-time headerAttributionSport