The incident took place in the north of the country, the most affected by insurgent attacks, causing 37 injuries, according to a statement from the governor of the region, Rodolphe Sorgo.

The blast hit several dozen public transport trucks and buses, mostly loaded with students and merchants, Sorgo said.

Burkina Faso has suffered frequent insurgent attacks since April 2015, carried out by groups linked to both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

According to unofficial estimates, 40 percent of the national territory is in the hands of Islamist militiamen.

The Burkinabe military deposed constitutional president Christian Marc Roch Kaboré last June and promised to control the Islamists; despite this their operations went on the rise.

Insecurity in the region caused some two million people to flee in search of safety, according to government data.

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