Extremists kill 2 in Burkina Faso as schools targeted

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – A local official says two people have been killed by jihadists on motorbikes in Burkina Faso's far north near the border with Mali.

High Commissioner of Soum province, Mohamed Dah, said Friday that Islamic extremists shot dead a school headmaster and a resident in Kourfayl, just outside the province's capital. The attackers then went to other villages nearby demanding that schools close.

Jihadists warned weeks ago of attacks if schools didn't close or teach only the Quran.

Earlier this week, jihadists attacked two other communities in the province, setting fire to police stations, buildings and homes.

The Ansaru Islam extremist group, whose leader is a radical Burkina Faso preacher, claimed responsibility for that attack.

The violence comes as Burkina Faso hosts an international film festival in Ouagadougou.