The president of Burkina Faso has said at least 24 soldiers have been killed in an attack on a military base in the country’s north.

In a statement on Tuesday, Roch Kabore said that seven other soldiers were wounded and five were still missing following the previous day’s assault in Koutougou, near the border with Mali.

“August 19th is a dark stain on the life of our national army,” Kabore said in a statement posted on the presidency website. “It is a heavy toll, which … saddens us.”

“In response to this barbaric attack, a large air and ground operation led to the neutralisation of several assailants,” it added.

A security source told AFP news agency that the assailants used heavy weapons and burned a large portion of the camp.

The source said the base was attacked by “several dozen terrorists” who arrived aboard motorbikes and pick-up trucks.

“It’s clearly an attack that was well-prepared and coordinated by several terrorist groups. They fired heavy weapons, including rockets, which set fire to several installations, transport and weaponry,” the source said.