The government of Burkina Faso announced that at least 79 people were killed in an alleged jihadist attack on the village of Setinga in the north of the country on Saturday evening. She stated that “29 other bodies were found. This number is added to the 50 bodies already found, bringing the preliminary death toll to 79,” noting that the search is still ongoing.

The statement notes that “the advance of the army has slowed down due to the possibility of planting explosive devices by ‘terrorists’ to bombard the facility.” Two thousand dead and 1.9 million displaced.

The country’s new leader, General Paul-Henri Sandaugo Damiba, made security a “priority” after President Roche Marc Christian Kabore was ousted in late January, citing the ineffectiveness of his approach in the face of jihadist violence. After a period of relative calm since coming to power, Damiba has faced an escalation in attacks by armed groups that have claimed the lives of more than 200 civilians and military since mid-March.