The "first attack targeted an advance party of Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP) in Rakoegtenga," a town in the northern province of Bam, a VDP official said on condition of anonymity.
Six auxiliaries and a woman died in the attack, he said.
Around 10 people were wounded, including some seriously, who were "evacuated to Ouagadougou for appropriate care," the VDP official said.
He said the second attack killed around 10 auxiliaries and a person in Nayala province in the northwest "in the afternoon when a convoy escorted by auxiliaries and soldiers was ambushed."
Security sources confirmed two "jihadist attacks" but gave no precise death toll, referring only to "a number of losses."
Two other incidents linked to armed jihadist groups were recorded on Thursday, according to other security sources. In the north-central province of Sanmatenga, a joint military and VDP team was targeted in Zincko, one of them said.
"About 10 terrorists were neutralized (killed). Unfortunately, four civilians were also killed," the source said.
Later in the evening, gunmen raided the town of Sanaba in Banwa province, killing eight civilians.
Last week around 60 women, girls and babies in the northern Djibo region were abducted while gathering wild fruit and other food, investigators have said.