More than 100 killed in jihadi attack in Burkina Faso

More than 100 people, mostly soldiers and aid workers were killed in an attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso, local residents said on Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, was reported, 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. 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 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.