The army announced late on Sunday that an explosion that occurred in northern Togo on Saturday night resulted in seven deaths and two injuries.

According to a doctor at the local hospital in Dapaong who pleaded not to be identified, the victims were all between the ages of 14 and 18.

The explosion occurred in the village of Margba, in the northern Savanes region where Togo declared a state of emergency last month due to rising insecurity.

In May, eight soldiers were killed in the same region in what was thought to be the first deadly spillover of Islamist violence from neighbouring Burkina Faso, where groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State wage frequent attacks.

Local media reported that the young people were returning home at night from celebrations of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha when they were killed.

The army did not say whether militant activity was suspected.

“An investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances of this explosion and identify the perpetrators,” said the statement by army chief Dadja Maganawe.