A group of unidentified attackers killed 40 people and injured 33 others in an assault on the army and volunteer defense forces in northern Burkina Faso on Saturday, according to a statement by the government.
The region is close to the Mali border, an area that has experienced numerous attacks by fighters linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS for many years.
The attack was responded by the army, neutralizing dozens of terrorists, a security source confirmed.
The Burkina Faso military administration had declared a general mobilization to give the government all necessary resources to fight the ongoing violence blamed on extremist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Last week, armed terrorist groups killed 44 in one of the deadliest attacks against civilians in the northeast, near the Niger border.
