The attackers struck overnight between Saturday and Sunday in Seytenga commune, part of Seno province, which lies in borderlands where fighters linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL are embroiled in an armed uprising, AlJazeera reported.
“The army has so far found 50 bodies” after the village of Seytenga was attacked overnight Saturday, spokesman Lionel Bilgo said on Monday, adding that the death toll “may rise”.
There were differing accounts of the death toll. A security official told Reuters news agency on Monday at least 100 people had died, while a local source who did not wish to be named told the agency some 165 people had been killed.
The United Nations condemned the attack, which it said had “claimed many victims”, and called on authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Seytenga was the site of bloody fighting last week between rebels and government forces.
Eleven police were killed on Thursday, prompting a military operation that the army said led to the deaths of about 40 rebel fighters.
“The bloodshed was caused by reprisals to the army’s actions,” government spokesman Bilgo said.
Humanitarian organizations in the region said about 3,000 people were being housed in neighbouring towns after fleeing from the village.
The attack is one of the bloodiest since a military coup in January.
ZZ/PR