Burkina Faso forces kill 146 militants after village massacre

Burkina Faso's armed forces have killed 146 jihadi militants in operations in the country's northwest, the army's commander general said late on Monday, following massacre at a village on Monday.

The military response followed an attack by armed men on a Kain village in Yatenga province early on Monday. Fourteen people were killed in the attack.

The operations, including air support, also targeted Bahn in the north region and Bomboro in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. The statement said there were light injuries and no deaths among security forces.

Islamic extremists in recent months have increased attacks in Burkina Faso's volatile Sahel region. A Canadian man was recently kidnapped and killed, and another Canadian and Italian are still missing.

Among the jihadi groups active in Burkina Faso is al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which is known by its French acronym of AQMI.

Burkina Faso on Tuesday hosted the leaders of the five nations in a regional counterterror force, the G5 Sahel, launched in 2017. Other members are Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Japan announced $23 million in support, plus $2.7 million for Burkina Faso, as the force continues to be underfunded.

Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou said the G5 Sahel will focus on developing methods to stem the growth of extremism.

"It is not only about security and economy but also ideology," he said.