Six Canadians killed in Burkina Faso attacks

OTTAWA — Six Canadians were killed in an attack carried out overnight by jihadists at a top hotel in Burkina Faso’s capital, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday.

“Canada strongly condemns the deadly terrorist attacks that took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso,” Trudeau said in a statement, noting that “several people, including six Canadian citizens” were killed in the violence.

At least 29 people, many of them foreigners, died as the attacks unfolded overnight Friday to Saturday at the city’s four-star Splendid hotel and a nearby restaurant.

“We have offered assistance to the Burkinabe authorities in their investigation of this terrible crime,” Trudeau said.

“On behalf of all Canadians, we offer our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of all those killed and a speedy recovery to all those injured,” he added.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has claimed the attack on behalf of an affiliate, according to a statement carried by US-based monitoring group SITE.

For the second time this week, Canada has had to condemn the killing of its citizens abroad.

On Thursday, a Canadian citizen from the Montreal suburbs was killed in Jakarta when suicide attackers linked to the so-called Islamic State group struck the Indonesian capital.

“We are deeply saddened by these senseless acts of violence on innocent civilians,” Trudeau said.