A jihadi group launched a deadly attack in northern Burkina Faso on Sunday, killing over 100 people. Most of the victims were soldiers. An aid worker and a local resident confirmed the incident on Monday. One student said her father was among the dead.
The attackers targeted several locations at the same time, including a key military base and the town of Djibo. This town has been under siege for a long time. Both sources spoke to The Associated Press but asked to stay anonymous out of fear.
Terror Group Behind the Attack
Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a group linked to Al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the assault. This group is active in the Sahel region, which includes Burkina Faso.
Details of the Attack
The aid worker said the attack began early Sunday at 6 a.m. JNIM fighters struck eight areas at once. Their aim was to divide the attention of Burkina Faso’s air force. The main assault happened in Djibo. First, the militants seized control of all the town’s entry points. Then, they attacked army camps, especially the base of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit.
Charlie Werb, a Sahel expert, studied videos of the attack posted online. He said the fighters stayed in those areas for several hours. This time, Burkina Faso’s military didn’t respond with airstrikes, unlike past attacks when they managed to push the extremists back.
Worsening Security Situation
Wassim Nasr, a security researcher with the Soufan Center, said, “The fact that Djibo was targeted confirms the extent of JNIM’s freedom of movement within Burkina Faso.” His statement highlights how the group is growing stronger and spreading further.
Burkina Faso, a landlocked country with 23 million people, remains one of the worst-hit nations by extremist violence in Africa. The country is now governed by a military junta. Nearly half of the territory is no longer under state control. The crisis has already led to two military coups in 2022.
Internal Conflict and Military Tensions
Meanwhile, the government has faced accusations of extrajudicial killings by its own security forces. Analysts say the junta’s aggressive military approach has added to the problem. Their policy includes recruiting large numbers of civilians into militias with very little training. Experts warn that this strategy has increased ethnic tensions within the country.
