The African country's army executed more than 220 villagers

HRW: Burkina Faso army executed more than 220 villagers

Photo: flickr.com

In February, Burkina Faso's military executed some 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants. This was reported by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The organization conducted its own investigation after reports emerged that about 170 people had been executed in attacks on three villages in the northern Yatenga province of Burkina Faso in late February.

A regional prosecutor based in the provincial capital of Ouhiguía first reported the killings in a statement on March 1.

A Burkina Faso government spokesman did not respond to phone calls from CNN seeking comment on the HRW report.

The attacks on the villages of Komsilga, Nodin and Soro were blamed on unidentified attackers, the prosecutor said in a statement, adding that an investigation had been launched.

As with previous cases of extrajudicial killings in the country , no official results have been published, HRW says.