Twelve people were killed and two others injured Thursday in a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso's northern province of Soum, the country's security ministry announced late Friday in a statement.

The attack was perpetrated by around 30 armed individuals in broad daylight and targeted people who had gathered for a weekly market in the village of Gasseliki, according to the statement.

The attackers reportedly ransacked stores and opened fire on people.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility.

The country's parliament on Friday voted to extend a state of emergency in several northern provinces by six months as attacks have been surging in recent months.

The West African country has witnessed a deterioration in its security situation since 2015. More than 270 people, including members of the defense and security forces, have been killed in terrorist attacks. 

(Cover: Gendarmes patrol on the street in Ouahigouya, northern Burkina Faso, October 29, 2018. /VCG Photo)