Terrorist attacks in northeastern Burkina Faso have claimed the lives of 44 civilians. According to AFP news agency the attacks took place on Thursday night, but regional authorities have only now provided clarity about the number of victims. Behind the violence are probably jihadist groups with ties to Al Qaeda and Islamic State.
The attacks took place at night on two villages in the border region with Niger. Soldiers of the national army are said to have subsequently eliminated those responsible. Earlier this week, Celestin Simpore, who has been appointed Burkina Faso’s military commander by the military junta, announced that a “dynamic offensive” would be launched against jihadist movements in the African country.
Burkina Faso has been battling jihadist violence for more than seven years. In June, for example, 86 civilians were killed in an attack on a village close to the two villages where the attacks took place this week. The terror has killed thousands of civilians and displaced at least two million people. It is estimated that about 40 percent of Burkina Faso’s territory is currently controlled by militant groups.
The jihadist terror has caused political instability. In 2022, two coups were carried out by the national army. In the last coup, which took place in September, army captain Ibrahim Traore took over power from Paul-Henri Damiba because the then ruler allegedly did too little to stop jihadists in northeastern Burkina Faso. Damiba himself had seized power a few months earlier for the same reason.