Ouagadougou, Feb. 5 -- Fourteen civilians were killed in a jihadist attack in northern Burkina Faso near the Mali border, the military has said.

The army conducted raids in three northern provinces in response and said it had "neutralised" 146 militants, according to a report that AFP could not immediately confirm from an independent source.

The jihadist attack, which took place in the town of Kain in the Yatenta province bordering Mali, is one of the most serious recorded in the country.

Army spokesman Colonel Lamoussa Fofana said in a statement: "On the night of Sunday 3 to Monday, February 4, 2019 a terrorist attack in Kain left 14 civilian victims.

"In response to this attack, the national defence and security forces immediately b...