Armed attackers killed five worshipers and a pastor in an attack by armed groups on a church in Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, security and local sources said.

The attack took place on a Sunday in the small northern town of Silgadji near Djibo, the capital of Soum province, and two others were also reported missing.

A government spokesman said it was the first attack on a church since sectarian violence erupted in the West African nation. About 60 percent of the country’s population is Muslim, roughly 25 percent is Christian, and the rest follow indigenous religions.

The attack happened just as the faithful were leaving the church at the end of the service, when the attackers on motorbikes fired into the air before aiming at the members of the congregation.

Deadly attacks have been attributed to a number of groups, including Ansarul Islam, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), and those with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).

Inter-communal violence and attacks by armed groups have forced tens of thousands from their homes in the past few months. The United Nations has said Burkina Faso is facing a full-blown humanitarian crisis with almost one million people in need of urgent help.

This attack with six dead and two missing is said by local security sources to be the first attack by armed groups on a Christian church in Burkina Faso.

Another report said that Burkina Faso has seen a spike in killings by jihadists, with that Sunday’s horrific shooting as the first instance where an attack took place on a church.

With it reported the jihadists entered the church towards the end of the Sunday service targeting the pastor and his sons.

Attacks on churches as part of a worldwide persecution of Christianity are becoming more common in other nations such as India, Pakistan, China, and others.

This ministry is viewer supported: if each of our viewers would give a donation, no matter the amount, as a tax-deductible offering, you will help ensure the signs of Biblical prophecy continue to be shared with the world. Please Give Here so together we can continue sharing more signs of the coming of Jesus. 

Do you believe in ministry sharing the prophetic signs of Jesus’ coming? … then please join us as a monthly Partner in Prophecy giving any amount each month to share the signs of His coming. Just check the recurring contribution button on the giving page linked below: