A local prosecutor said he had been notified of the attack on Friday, adding that it had been carried out by people dressed in army uniforms. He's appealed for information.

Survivors told the AFP news agency that more than 100 people on motorbikes and pick-up trucks had raided the village.

An attack on Burkinabe army and volunteer forces took place in the same region, near Ouahigouya, earlier last week, leaving around 40 dead and more than 30 injured.

Thousands have been killed since Islamist militants started operating in the area in 2015.