Burkina Faso's troops are battling an insurgency in the regionImage caption: Burkina Faso's troops are battling an insurgency in the region
At least 12 soldiers were killed on Sunday in an ambush in north-western Burkina Faso near the border with Mali.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack carried out in the Boucle du Mouhoun region.
Seven missing soldiers have been found alive, according to the ministry of communication.

The attackers had targeted a group composed of elements of the military and the gendarmerie, the ministry added.

The attack occurred in the same region where the Burkinabè army claimed on Saturday to have "neutralised two prominent jihadists" who were being sought.
It also comes as the first trial of alleged perpetrators of various terrorist attacks opens this Monday.

Burkina Faso has been the target of terrorist attacks since 2015 which have caused many deaths and left thousands of internally displaced people.