An Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a recent attack on a military post in Burkina Faso’s northern Loroum province, stating that 60 soldiers were killed.
The SITE Intelligence Group, a US-based non-governmental organization tracking online activity of Islamist militants, confirmed JNIM’s claim.
According to reports, JNIM fighters raided an army military post in the Burkina town of Sole, killing soldiers, although the exact date of the attack is unclear.
In a separate incident, 10 members of a pro-government militia known as VDP were killed in eastern Gnagna province.
JNIM has also posted messages taking credit for four assaults in Burkina Faso and Mali, highlighting the difficulties faced by the Sahel nations in containing insurgents.
Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina Faso, appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to leave the town for their safety after an intense assault on the town’s army base, police station, and market.
Witnesses described dozens of soldiers and civilians killed, with many more injured. Videos on social media showed insurgents roaming the eastern town of Diapaga, near the border with Niger and Mali, with gunfire and black smoke visible in the distance.
Analysts believe JNIM will likely continue mounting attacks in its strongholds, given its demonstrated ability to seize major towns with minimal deterrence from security forces.
“JNIM is demonstrating that it can seize major towns with little deterrence from security forces, and it is likely to continue mounting such attacks in its strongholds,” said Beverly Ochieng, senior analyst at Control Risks.
