Two Spanish journalists killed in attack in Burkina Faso

(Update1: Adds Burkinabe government comments)

Madrid/Ouagadougou, Apr 27 (EFE).- Two Spanish journalists have been killed after they were kidnapped during an ambush in Burkina Faso, Spain’s foreign minister confirmed on Tuesday.

Although the situation is “confusing,” Arancha González Laya said that two bodies found at the scene of the attack were those of David Beriain and Roberto Fraile, who were making a documentary on poaching in the region, along with an Irish reporter.

The incident took place in Pama area in the eastern province of Kompienga when gunmen ambushed an anti-poaching patrol of 40 Burkinabe soldiers, who were accompanying the journalists.

González Laya pointed out it was a dangerous area, where terror groups, poachers and outlaws operate.

In a statement, Burkinabe Minister of Communication Ousseni Tamboura said the attack was carried out by “terrorists” on Monday, adding that authorities had yet to identify the kidnappers.

The incident “has left three people injured, with four others, comprising three foreigners and a Burkinabe, missing,” according to Tamboura.

“However, photos of bodies of three foreigners who have not been identified yet have been circulating on social networks,” he underlined.

The western African country has seen a significant increase in terror attacks since April 2015, when extremists from an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group kidnapped a Romanian mining worker in northern the country.

Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel, where several terrorist groups are active, some of which have pledged allegiance to the Islamist militias al-Qaeda and Islamic State. EFE