Al Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for Burkina attack, says it killed 60 soldiers
DAKAR (Reuters) - Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM has claimed responsibility for an attack targeting a military post in Burkina Faso's northern Loroum province in which the group said 60 soldiers were killed, the SITE Intelligence Group said on Tuesday.
The U.S.-based non-governmental organization, which tracks online activity of Islamist militants, said JNIM had posted messages on Monday and Tuesday in which it took credit for four assaults in Burkina Faso and Mali.
The attacks highlight the difficulties the three Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ruled by military leaders, are facing in containing the insurgents.
Burkina authorities have not commented on the latest attacks.
The most notable attack occurred in the Burkina town of Sole, where JNIM fighters raided the army military post and killed soldiers, SITE Intelligence said, without specifying on which day it took place.
Another Burkina attack killed 10 members of a pro-government militia known as VDP in eastern Gnagna province, SITE added.
In a separate statement, SITE said Ousmane Dicko, head of Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JMIN) in Burkina, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo, located in the north of Burkina Faso, to leave the town for their own safety.
An army base in Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told Reuters.
Three Djibo residents described an intense assault involving hundreds of fighters on facilities housing soldiers and pro-government militiamen. Although there was no official toll, the witnesses said dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed.
"The population saw soldiers burnt in the flames of explosions. Multiple military arsenals were taken and civilians were killed by gunfire," a teacher in Djibo, told Reuters.
A series of videos on social media on Wednesday showed unidentified insurgents on foot and motor-bikes roving around the eastern town of Diapaga near the border with Niger and Mali.
Gunfire rang in the air and black smoke billowed at a distance in one video, while in another, the insurgents posed for pictures and tore down flags of junta-led countries and Russia.
Reuters could not verify the authenticity of the videos.
"JNIM is demonstrating that it can seize major towns with little deterrence from security forces, and it is likely to continue mounting such attacks in its strongholds," said Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst at Control Risks.
(Additional reporting by Portia Crowe and David Lewis; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Bate Felix and Gareth Jones)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Border under close watch
Tensions high: Royalist activists protesting in front of the Cambodian embassy following a clash at the Thailand-Cambodia border in Bangkok. The countries are set to hold talks at a Joint Boundary Commission meeting on June 14 in Phnom Penh. — Reuters The kingdom's top army official designated commanders of two task forces to oversee border crossings with Cambodia as tensions simmer following a skirmish in late May. Effective from Saturday, the Burapha and Suranaree task forces have been authorised to determine necessary measures at border checkpoints, according to a statement signed by Army Chief Pana Claewplodtook. The nations are looking to defuse tensions following an exchange of gunfire between troops on May 28 in the disputed Chong Bok border region, which resulted in the death of a Cambodian soldier. The countries are set to hold talks at a Joint Boundary Commission meeting on June 14 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. While the task forces must consider the needs of trade and daily lives of the local populations of both countries, 'they may order the closing or opening of any or all border checkpoints under any conditions or time frame deemed appropriate' to protect Thailand's sovereignty, the army said in its statement. The move follows comments from Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai that border tensions have been exacerbated by Cambodia's reinforcement of its military presence. As a result, Thailand has 'deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly,' he said. Meanwhile, two border checkpoints in Thailand's eastern Chanthaburi province have been ordered to close temporarily for tourists by a commander of the provincial marine corps task force, The Nation reported on Saturday. The order cites an announcement of martial law in some parts of the province due to the security threat from Cambodia. Still, Cambodian migrant workers employed in Thailand are exempt, and cross-border trade will continue as usual, according to The Nation. Cross-border trade and customs activity remains operational as usual in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thai Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said in a post on X. The Finance Ministry has prepared fiscal measures for all circumstances, he said. — Bloomberg
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
UK timeline for US deal is too ambitious
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a statement on Defence spending at Downing Street on February 25, 2025 in London, England. Earlier today Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a commitment to increase the UK's defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, along with the goal of increasing it to 3% during the next parliament. Leon Neal/Pool via REUTERS LONDON: Prime Minister Keir Starmer would need President Donald Trump to be 'extraordinarily generous' to meet his ambition of finalising the UK-US tariff deal in two weeks, according to Britain's former top trade negotiator. Crawford Falconer, who led British trade negotiations until late last year, cast doubts on the UK government's efforts to settle remaining issues within a fortnight. While Starmer and Trump announced the so-called Economic Prosperity Deal to great fanfare in early May, numerous details have yet to be finalised. 'My assumption is that they're expecting the United States to be extraordinarily generous and understanding toward them,' Falconer told Bloomberg News. 'Because otherwise I think it would take longer than two weeks.' That assessment will come as a blow to Starmer as he tries to seize on the United Kingdom's status as the first country to agree to a trade deal with Trump this year. Last Tuesday, the White House ramped up the pressure, giving the United Kingdom five weeks to resolve outstanding issues or risk a doubling of US tariffs on British steel and aluminium imports to 50%. Trump's tariffs are already weighing on the United Kingdom's beleaguered steel industry, with some manufacturers saying American orders have dried up. Starmer dismissed concerns in Parliament last Wednesday, telling lawmakers he expected a resolution within a 'couple of weeks'. — Bloomberg
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
National Guard deployed in Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids
A man on a motorcycle waves a Mexican flag as smoke rises from a burning car on Atlantic Boulevard, during a standoff by protesters and law enforcement, following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Los Angeles County city of Compton, California, U.S., June 7, 2025. REUTERS/Barbara Davidson LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California National Guard arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday, deployed by President Donald Trump after two days of protests by hundreds of demonstrators against immigration raids carried out as part of Trump's hardline policy. About a dozen National Guard members were seen in video footage on Sunday morning lining up at a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where detainees from immigration raids on Friday were taken, sparking protests that continued on Saturday. The complex is near Los Angeles City Hall, where another protest against the immigration raids is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. U.S. Northern Command confirmed National Guard troops had started deploying and that some were already on the ground. "These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform early on Sunday. California Governor Gavin Newsom has accused Trump of deploying the National Guard because he wants "a spectacle." Footage showed at least a half dozen military-style vehicles and riot shields on Sunday at the federal building where the Department of Homeland Security said about "1,000 rioters" had protested on Friday. Reuters could not verify the DHS account. On Saturday law enforcement faced off against a few hundred protesters in Paramount in southeast Los Angeles and then later on Saturday with about 100 people in downtown Los Angeles, according to Reuters witnesses. Federal law enforcement was seen firing gas canisters in Paramount and downtown Los Angeles on Saturday to try and disperse protesters. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 27 people on Saturday for failure to disperse from the downtown protest, police spokesperson Norma Eisenman said. She said she could not comment on whether LAPD used less lethal force. Less lethal force refers to crowd control tactics such as pepper balls. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three people on Saturday on suspicion of assaulting an officer. Sheriff's deputies did use "less lethal force" in Paramount, spokesperson Deputy Brenda Serna said, but she could not specify which exact tactics were used. 'ZERO TOLERANCE' The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where census data suggests a significant part of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made an immigration crackdown a hallmark of his second term. Trump in a presidential memorandum on Saturday said he was deploying at least 2,000 National Guard personnel following what he described as "numerous incidents of violence and disorder" in response to the enforcement of federal immigration law, as well as "credible threats of continued violence." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also warned that the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert." "There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job. The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE," Hegseth said in a social media post on Sunday, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democratic Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, whose California district includes Paramount, on Sunday criticized the president's decision to deploy National Guard troops, arguing that local law enforcement has adequate resources to respond. "We don't need the help. This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise. It's only going to make things worse in a situation where people are already angry over immigration enforcement," Barragan told CNN's "State of the Union." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the National Guard would provide safety around buildings, to people engaged in peaceful protest and to law enforcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles on Friday arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also included people legally residing in the country, some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. (Reporting by Jorge Garcia and Arafat Barbakh; Additional reporting by Sandy Hooper in Los Angeles, Daniel Trotta and Bo Erickson in Washington; Writing by John Kruzel and Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft)
