Burkina Faso on Wednesday declared two days of national mourning after at least 36 civilians were killed by jihadists in northern part of the country.
The terrorists killed 32 civilians when they attacked and burned the market in Nagraogo village before killing four more people in Alamou village.
Three other people were wounded in the attacks. Hundreds of people have fled the area to seek refuge in the city of Kaya.
The Burkinabe government said it has learnt with consternation and anger of the deaths of 36 Burkinabe in Sanmatenga province, after a terrorist attack.
President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced a two-day period of mourning during which flags will be flown at half-mast and festivals will be prohibited.
In the wake of the terror attacks the government has launched an appeal for collaboration with the defense and security forces.
The Burkina parliament has also adopted a law allowing for the recruitment of local volunteers in the fight against jihadists.
According to a document seen by AFP, volunteers aged over 18 will be recruited in their regions in agreement with local populations.
They will be given 14 days military training, after which they will be given small arms and other communication equipment.
The recruits would be expected to conduct surveillance and provide information and protection for their local communities in the event of an attack while waiting for security forces to deploy.
There have been a wave of jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso, as well as neighboring Mali and Niger.
According to the UN, around 4,000 people were killed in jihadist attacks in the three Sahel countries last year.
Source: Africafeeds.com
