A religious leader was killed along with seven other people during overnight attacks on two eastern villages.

At least eight civilians have been killed in twin attacks in eastern Burkina Faso, where armed groups have been gaining ground in recent months, according to local authorities.

“Two terror attacks were carried out in the villages of Diabiga and Kompienbiga” overnight in eastern Kompienga province, the regional governor said in a statement on Saturday.

In one of the attacks, the gunmen targeted the home of a religious leader who was killed along with four other people, an unnamed security source told the AFP news agency.

“Three people belonging to the same family were killed and another two injured by suspected jihadists on mopeds,” according to another security source.

In March, at least 16 people, including eight fighters, were killed in coordinated attacks on the French embassy and army headquarters in the capital, Ouagadougou.

Last year, an al-Qaeda affiliated group attacked a restaurant in Ouagadougou, killing 19 people.

Since 2015, armed groups in the Sahel – an area traversing Central and West Africa – have staged a number of attacks in Burkina Faso.