AT LEAST 40 civilians were killed last weekend when al-Qaida-linked rebels tried to take over a town in Burkina Faso’s northern region, the United Nations Human Rights Office has said, calling the attack a war crime.

In one of the biggest clashes in recent years in the west African country, which is plagued by insurgents linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State, a large number of rebels tried to take control of Djibo, near the border with Mali.

The town has been besieged by fighters for more than a year, badly affecting essential services.