OUAGADOUGOU:  According to an official statement, at least 50 civilians were killed during an armed attack in Burkina Faso's Madjoari region.

Residents from the Madjoari town who were attempting to reach Nadiagou, in the town of Pama, were targeted by unidentified armed men, according to a statement from the regional government.

The civilians from Madjoari died on Wednesday while attempting to flee a jihadist blockade, according to Colonel Hubert Yameogo, who added that the toll was provisional. Survivors reportedly said that they had been trying to flee the attackers as food ran out.

"The terrorists intercepted and executed the people," one survivor said. "Everyone who died was a man." "Security operations are underway to restore peace," said the region's governor.

On May 14, an attack on civilians in the same area killed 17 people and injured seven more. On May 19, another attack on the Madjoari military detachment killed 11 soldiers and injured 20 others.

Burkina Faso's security has deteriorated since 2015, with terrorist attacks killing over 1,000 people and displacing over 1 million others in the West African country.

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