55 people killed in latest attack in northern Burkina Faso

Gunmen killed at least 55 people over the weekend in northern Burkina Faso, the latest attack amid mounting violence blamed on Islamic extremists, authorities said Monday.

Suspected militants targeted civilians in Seytenga in the West African country's Seno province, government spokesman Wendkouni Joel Lionel Bilgo said at a news conference.

Nearly 5,000 people have died over the last two years in Burkina Faso because of violence blamed on Islamic extremists. Another 2 million people have fled their homes, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis.