Seytenga massacre | |
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Part of the Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
Location | Seytenga, Séno Province, Burkina Faso |
Coordinates | 13°58′23″N 0°18′12″E / 13.9729489°N 0.3033785°E |
Date | 12 June 2022 16:00–17:00 (GMT, UTC±00:00) |
Attack type | Mass shooting, massacre, arson |
Deaths | 100+ |
Perpetrators | Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (suspected) |
On June 12, 2022, at least 100 civilians were killed in a massacre by suspected Islamists in the village of Seytenga, located in a department of the same name in Séno Province, Burkina Faso.[1][2]
The attack occurred around 4:00 or 5:00 PM. A survivor recalled that the terrorists "went from shop to shop, sometimes torching [them] ... They opened fire on anyone who tried to run away." Homes also were reported to have been burned during the massacre.[3]
Authorities confirmed at least 79 deaths, but expected there to be over 100.[2] Other estimates said that the death toll was 165.[4] According to Reuters, quoting anonymous sources, the attackers "targeted men but appeared to spare women and children".[1] 3,000 residents of the town were displaced to Dori.[5]
The EU and the UN[6] denounced the massacre, along with Interim President of Burkina Faso Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who declared a 72-hour national day of mourning.[2]
It was the worst attack in the Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso since the 2021 Solhan and Tadaryat massacres.[7]