22 victims of Burkina Faso hotel attack indentified

Twenty-two victims of last Friday's attack on the Splendid Hotel in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou have been identified, Burkina Faso's Interior Security Minister Simon Compaore said on Sunday.

The victims include seven Burkinabes, four Canadians, three Ukrainians, two Swiss nationals, one American, one Dutch, one Libyan and one Portuguese, Campaore revealed.

The attack carried out by Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) left at least 29 people dead and 30 others injured.

Security operation freed over 150 hostages and killed four attackers, according to the minister.

He said of the killed assailants, two were light skinned and one was dark skinned.

As well as the luxury hotel frequented by foreigners, a cafe and another nearby hotel were targeted.

Campaore said the government had reinforced security across the country following the attack. He also urged the citizens not to verbally or physically attack people in Islamic dress.

"Following the barbaric attack by the jihadists allied to the Al-Qaida in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), some angry civilians began attacking people with a long beard or those who had covered their heads with scarfs," Compaore said.

He called on the public to "have confidence in the national authorities and to trust the defense and security forces were doing everything possible to secure the entire national territory."

Eyewitnesses say the assailants were seen in a mosque behind the Splendid Hotel before the attack took place.

AQIM claims it carried out the attack on a hotel in Bamako, capital of the neighbouring Mali, in November last year, killing 19 people. Endit