The army said late on Sunday that an explosion on Saturday night in northern Togo left seven persons dead and two wounded.
A medical source at the regional hospital in Dapaong who asked not to be identified reported that the casualties were all between the ages of 14 and 18.
The explosion happened in the Savanes region’s northern hamlet of Margba, where Togo last month declared a state of emergency owing to escalating insecurity.
Eight soldiers were killed in the same region in May, in what was believed to be the first serious spillover of Islamist violence from neighboring Burkina Faso, where extremists affiliated to al Qaeda and the Islamic State carry out frequent attacks.
The young individuals were reportedly killed as they were returning home at night after attending Eid al-Adha celebrations.
No mention of suspected insurgent activities was made by the army.
According to the statement made by army head Dadja Maganawe, “An investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of this explosion and identify the perpetrators.”
SOURCE: REUTEURS
