UN chief condemns attack in Burkina Faso

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned Wednesday's attack in northern Burkina Faso, where dozens of people were killed and several others wounded.

Guterres conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured in the attack perpetrated by unidentified gunmen on a convoy near the town of Arbinda, said Eri Kaneko, an associate spokesperson for Guterres, in a statement.

The death toll from the attack has risen to 80, among whom were 59 civilians, six pro-government militiamen and 15 military police, according to a statement released by the government on Thursday.

The attack occurred on Wednesday when Islamist militants raided a civilian convoy that was being escorted by military police near the town of Arbinda, the latest in a spate of attacks across West Africa's Sahel region this month.

(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)