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Al Jazeera
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Al-Qaeda affiliate claims 200 soldiers killed in Burkina Faso attack
An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed it killed 200 soldiers in an attack on a Burkina Faso army base this week, according to an NGO that tracks armed groups' online activity. The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told the news agency Reuters. Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters that dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed. Al Jazeera was not able to independently verify the death toll. A Burkina Faso military source told Al Jazeera that the armed group was exaggerating the number of casualties. The United States-based SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online activity of armed groups, said Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) made the claim in a formal statement. 'The operation comes amid increased JNIM activity in Burkina Faso over the past month inflicting a high number of casualties,' SITE said. The organisation previously said Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina Faso, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their own safety. Reporting from Dakar, Senegal, Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque said the attack took place over a number of days. 'One of the major military outposts that was supposed to protect this town of about 200,000 people was razed to the ground, such was the firepower of the armed groups,' said Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque, reporting from Senegal, Dakar. 'This is one of the deadliest attacks in Burkina Faso, and it comes just as Ibrahim Traore [Burkina Faso's military leader] has been saying that the country has been gaining territory, encouraging people to go back to their homes, but this latest attack proves the opposite,' said Haque. A video circulating on social media from the al-Qaeda affiliate warned people to leave their homes and said it would seize more territories. 'What we're seeing here is the pivot point where these armed groups that normally attack villages are now trying to take over towns. It's a major blow for Burkina Faso's armed forces,' Haque said, noting the attacks come just as Traore was visiting Russia, asking President Vladimir Putin for more training and arms to fight off armed groups. JNIM claimed responsibility for another assault this week targeting a military post in Burkina Faso's northern Loroum province in which the group said 60 soldiers were killed, according to SITE. The attacks highlight the difficulties the three Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, ruled by military leaders, are facing in containing the armed groups. Burkina Faso authorities have not commented on the latest attacks. A 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. A Military government took power in Burkina Faso in 2022, but they have largely failed to provide stability, as more than 60 percent of the country is estimated to be outside government control.
Asharq Al-Awsat
15-05-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Al Qaeda Affiliate: 200 Soldiers Killed in Attack on Burkina Military Base
An attack on a Burkina Faso army base killed 200 soldiers, the SITE Intelligence Group quoted Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM as saying on Thursday. The base in the northern town of Djibo came under attack on Sunday morning, and a police station and market were also targeted, security sources told Reuters. Although there was no official toll, three Djibo residents told Reuters dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed. US-based SITE, which tracks online activity of militants, said JNIM made the claim in a formal statement. "The operation comes amid increased JNIM activity in Burkina Faso over the past month inflicting a high number of casualties," SITE said. The organization previously said Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their own safety.
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers, an aid worker and local residents said Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso's hard-hit communities. A student from the area said her father was among those killed. Both individuals spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. A jihadi group aligned with Al-Qaida known as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin or JNIM, which is active in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. Run by a military junta, the landlocked nation of 23 million has been among the worst hit by the security crisis in Africa's Sahel region, known as the global hot spot for violent extremism. About half of Burkina Faso is outside of government control as a result of the violence that contributed to two coups in 2022. Government security forces have also been accused of extrajudicial killings. The aid worker, as well as Charlie Werb, an independent open-source analyst focusing on the Sahel, recounted how Sunday's attack began simultaneously in different locations at 6 a.m local time on Sunday. 'JNIM fighters attacked eight localities simultaneously to disperse the Burkina Faso air force. The main attack occurred in Djibo, where JNIM fighters first took control of all the town's entry checkpoints before attacking the military camps, particularly the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit's camp,' said the aid worker. Werb, who studied videos posted online, said the attackers spent several hours in the areas without air support from Burkina Faso's military, unlike similar attacks on Djibo in the past, when security forces have successfully repelled the extremists. The latest attack shows JNIM's escalating power and widening reach in Burkina Faso, said Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center security think tank. 'The fact that Djibo was targeted confirms the extent of JNIM's freedom of movement within Burkina Faso.' Analysts have warned that the junta's strategy of military escalation, including the mass recruitment of civilians into poorly trained militias, has worsened inter-ethnic tensions. ____ McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at: Baba Ahmed And Wilson Mcmakin, The Associated Press
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
BAMAKO, Mali — An attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers, an aid worker and local residents said Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso's hard-hit communities. A student from the area said her father was among those killed.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Associated Press
More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in northern Burkina Faso
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers, an aid worker and local residents said Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso's hard-hit communities. A student from the area said her father was among those killed. Both individuals spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. A jihadi group aligned with Al-Qaida known as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin or JNIM, which is active in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. ____ McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal ____ Follow AP's Africa coverage at:
