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The number of people who died in a jihadist attack earlier this week on a military convoy escorting civilians in northern Burkina Faso has risen to 80, the authorities have said. Around 60 of the victims were civilians. The others were soldiers and members of a pro-government militia.

It's the latest attack in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso, where militias linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group operate across the borders with Niger and Mali.

Moumini Soubeiga, a journalist in the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadogou, describes the event, where the attackers ambushed the convoy and then opened fire in an area known as the 'free border'. He says some of those killed were victims of previous attacks who were trying to get home, and that the attackers may have been a mix of terrorists and people vying for control of the area.

Photo: Burkino Faso soldiers on patrol Credit: Getty Images