jihadist

The jihadist group had said it killed 70 soldiers in raids on two military posts in the north, according to intelligence group SITE.

Jnim is one of several jihadist groups operating in West Africa's Sahel region, especially Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where the military governments are struggling to contain the insurgency.

Benin and Togo have seen a rise in jihadist activity in recent years, as groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda spread to the south.

Though Christianity is the majority religion in the DRC, Christians there have faced death and persecution at the hands of jihadist group Islamic State and associated rebels.

Burkina Faso, like its Sahel neighbours, has been battling armed jihadist groups, with an estimated 40% of the country under their control.