Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Killing of 200 Soldiers in Burkina Faso Attack

An armed group affiliated with al-Qaeda, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that allegedly killed 200 soldiers in Burkina Faso’s troubled northern region.

According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S.-based organisation that tracks extremist activity, JNIM released a statement taking credit for the attack on a military post in Djibo. The town, located in northern Burkina Faso, has been a flashpoint of insurgent violence in recent months.

“The operation comes amid increased JNIM activity in Burkina Faso over the past month, inflicting a high number of casualties,” SITE reported, quoting the group’s online communication.

JNIM’s latest claim comes just a day after it said it was behind another attack that left 60 soldiers dead. The group’s leader in Burkina Faso, Ousmane Dicko, had earlier appeared in a video urging Djibo residents to flee the area for their safety.

While no official casualty figures have been released, three residents who spoke to Reuters confirmed dozens of deaths, including civilians. A military source quoted by Al Jazeera, however, suggested that the group might be exaggerating the numbers.

The Burkinabe government has yet to issue an official statement on the reported attack.

Burkina Faso remains at the epicentre of jihadist violence in the Sahel. Since 2019, over a million people have been displaced, and key infrastructure such as hospitals and schools have been destroyed or rendered inoperative. Despite promises by the military-led government of President Ibrahim Traoré to improve security and its alignment with new partners like Russia, attacks have persisted.

Burkina Faso ranked highest on the 2024 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), becoming the first country outside Afghanistan and Iraq in over a decade to top the list. In 2023 alone, the country accounted for nearly 25% of global terrorism-related deaths, with 2,000 fatalities from 258 attacks.