Burkina Faso asks civilians to evacuate vast zones ahead of military operations

Burkina Faso President Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba is surrounded by soldiers, as he arrives to motivate his troops. [Reuters]

Burkina Faso's army has ordered civilians to evacuate two large "military interest zones" in its northern and southeastern regions ahead of anticipated operations against Islamist insurgents, it said.

The announcement was made late on Monday, with few details about how long people have to evacuate or where they should go.