Burkina Faso to arm citizens after deadly attack on two villages

Burkina Faso's Parliament voted Tuesday to provide local volunteers with "light weapons" after a terrorist attack on two villages left 32 civilians dead.

No one has claimed responsibility for Monday's attack that the government blames on a "terrorist group."

"These repeated attacks on innocent civilians call for real cooperation between defense and security forces," a government statement said, as it called for a "frank collaboration" between civilians and security forces.

Suspected Islamic extremists attacked a market in the village of Nagraogo and burned it to the ground. Four others in Alamou village were also killed.

Militant attacks in what had been a relatively peaceful Burkina Faso have surged in recent months as Islamic insurgents spill across the borders from neighboring Mali and Niger.