Islamist extremists have slaughtered around 100 Christians and kidnapped many others in a wave of brutal attacks across Burkina Faso since May.
The latest attack occurred on Sunday 25th August, when insurgents abducted 26 Christians in Sanaba, western Burkina Faso, forcing them into a church where they were executed.
According to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), this incident came just a day after the deadliest terrorist attack in the country's history, in which at least 150 people were killed.
Some reports suggest the death toll could be as high as 250 in Barsalogho, central Burkina Faso.
Local church sources reported to ACN that further attacks had taken place in Nouna Diocese, near Burkina Faso’s western border with Mali.
A source, who requested anonymity for security reasons, revealed that "around 5,000 women and children have sought refuge in the city of Nouna" following the attacks.
The source added: "There is not a single man among them. The whereabouts of the male population is still uncertain; we don’t know if they escaped, if they are hiding, or if they were murdered."
The violence has not spared places of worship, with numerous Catholic, Protestant, and animist sites being torched and ransacked over the past few months.
These recent extremist attacks are part of a broader, ongoing armed conflict that has engulfed Burkina Faso since 2015.