Thirteen civilians have been killed in Burkina Faso, Reuters news agency quote the government as saying.

On Monday night, armed men on motorbikes descended on Yirgou village, made up largely of people of Mossi ethnicity, and killed six people, government spokesman Jean Paul Badoun told Reuters.

Mr Badoun added that the following day Yirgou residents killed seven Fulani herders in what appeared to be retaliation.

The ethnic violence echoes problems seen in neighbouring Mali where Fulani have been accused of hiding Islamists who have carried out attacks across the region in recent years.