The government of Burkina Faso says at least 50 civilians have been killed by suspected Islamists in a raid on Seytenga village, in the north of the country.
The UN has condemned the latest attacks on civilians.
The raid is one of the bloodiest since a military coup in January, when colonels angered at failures to roll back the insurgency ousted the elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore.
A spokesman for the government of Burkina Faso said the Islamist attack in Seytenga was in response to a successful military operation last week.
There are fears that the number of civilian deaths from the weekend attack could be far higher than is being admitted – some reports had put the number at 100 or more.
The recent escalation of raids by Islamist linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group is a major setback for the military government in Burkina Faso.
It forced its way to power accusing the elected government of failing address the insecurity.
The conflict which also affects swathes of Mali and Niger is displacing rural communities and contributing to a severe shortage of food
