Officials said on Monday that nine people were killed in two attacks in northern Burkina Faso.

According to a security official, six people were killed by armed men overnight Saturday at Pissele near Bourazanga, a hotspot for jihadist attacks.

“Three people were shot dead in the village of Bool-Kiiba and their bodies found after assailants left,” said a local administrative official.

An official was able to confirm the attack on Bool-Kiiba had happened but was not able to give a number.

He continued to say others were unaccounted for.

The bandits had also looted possessions, including motorbikes.

More than 580 people have been killed since early 2015 according to an AFP toll.

Most of the attacks are linked to groups associated with Al-Qaeda and some to the Islamic State group.

Burkina Faso has become part of a seven-year-old jihadist insurgency in the fragile Sahel region.