The morning raid on Arbinda in Soum province was the latest jihadist attack since violence began spilling over from Mali’s conflict in 2015.

“A large number of terrorists simultaneously attacked the military unit and the civilian population in Arbinda,” the army chief of staff statement said.

The attack lasted several hours, but troops and gendarmerie backed by the air force pushed the militants into retreat, it said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but jihadist violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on militants linked to both Al Qaeda and Islamic State groups.

Security forces say they have killed roughly 100 jihadists during several operations since November.

Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has seen regular jihadist attacks since the start of 2015 – with more than 700 people killed and around 560,000 displaced, according to the United Nations.

The north and east are the worst affected, though the capital Ouagadougou has been hit three times.