Massacre in Burkina Faso: Over 100 Killed

Jihadi militants have unleashed another deadly assault in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, resulting in the deaths of more than 100 people in the country’s northern region. The attack occurred early Sunday morning and was carried out by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate. Most of the victims were reportedly soldiers.

The militants launched a simultaneous assault at approximately 6 a.m. on the strategically important town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, as well as on the military base located there. A humanitarian worker, who is engaged in negotiations with severely affected communities in the country, confirmed these details. A local student expressed anguish, stating that her father was among those killed in the attack. Both individuals declined to reveal their identities, citing fears of retaliation.

JNIM, which remains active across the Sahel region, has claimed responsibility for the operation. The humanitarian worker explained that in order to divert the attention of Burkina Faso’s air force, the militants carried out coordinated strikes in eight different locations. The main assault, however, was concentrated in Djibo. According to the same source, the attackers initially took control of all access routes into the town before launching a concentrated offensive on military outposts, particularly targeting the camp of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit.

Although security forces had previously managed to repel similar attacks on Djibo, this latest strike saw militants causing widespread destruction for several hours without encountering any aerial resistance. Independent analyst Charlie Verb, who reviewed videos posted online, confirmed this absence of an air force counterattack and highlighted the prolonged chaos inflicted during the assault.