An attack on 24 August 2024 by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) terrorists, an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist organization, killed hundreds of soldiers of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces, as well as civilians who were digging defensive trenches[3] in the Barsalogho Department of northern Burkina Faso. The attack is part of an ongoing jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso and the Sahel.[4][1] It is the deadliest attack in the country's history.[5]
| 2024 Barsalogho attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
 Location of Barsalogho Department in Sanmatenga Province, Burkina Faso | |
| Location | Barsalogho, Barsalogho Department, Burkina Faso |
| Coordinates | 13°24′54″N 1°3′23″W / 13.41500°N 1.05639°W |
| Date | 24 August 2024 |
| Target | Burkinabè soldiers and civilians |
Attack type | Gunfire |
| Deaths | 400–500+[1] |
| Injured | 300+[2] |
| Perpetrator | Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin |
Background
editSince August 2015, a civil conflict between the Government of Burkina Faso and Islamist rebels has killed at least 10,000 civilians and combatants and displaced more than 2 million people. Almost half of Burkina Faso's territory is in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorists.[4] The war is part of the wider insurgency in the Sahel.[6][7][8]
In August 2024, jihadists began to close in on the Barsalogho Department city of Kaya, which represented the last defensive line between the terrorists and Burkina Faso's capital of Ouagadougou. In anticipation of an attack, the Burkina Faso Armed Forces recruited nearby residents to dig defensive trenches around the town of Barsalogho, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the north of Kaya.[4]
Attack
editOn 24 August 2024, from 09:00 to 16:00,[2] a group of JNIM terrorists opened fire on soldiers and townspeople who were digging defensive trenches for the army and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP)[3]—a civilian armed group that supports the Burkinabe military.[9] Several dozen people were killed, while many wounded people were taken to a hospital in Kaya. Most of the victims were young residents of the town who helped soldiers dig trenches.[10] Local officials and members of the VDP were also among the casualties.[9] The attackers captured several weapons and an ambulance used by the Burkinabe military.[4] On 27 August, sources told Reuters that the attack had likely killed at least 400 or 500 people.[1] Burkinabe soldiers, auxiliaries, and air support responded to the attack, reportedly killing several terrorists and limiting further Burkinabe casualties.[9][10]
Aftermath
editAfter the attack, JNIM released several videos of the bodies of those killed.[4] The group's leader, Iyad Ag Ghaly, claimed that it had taken control of a militia headquarters in Barsalogho.[11] The JNIM killed people in the trenches where they were digging in an effort to turn them into mass graves, and claimed that the army ordered civilians to dig military trenches in an apparent act of desperation to counter the jihadists' advances.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Christensen, Sofia (27 August 2024). "Suspected jihadists kill hundreds in Burkina Faso attack". Reuters. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Burkina Faso: l'hôpital de Kaya confronté à l'urgence après le massacre de samedi" [Burkina Faso: Kaya hospital faces emergency after Saturday's massacre] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b Fröhlich, Silja; Mwanamilongo, Saleh (27 August 2024). "Burkina Faso vows 'determined response' against terrorists". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f "Up to 200 people killed in attack in central Burkina Faso". Al Jazeera. 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Le Cam, Morgane (5 September 2024). "Le Burkina Faso a subi l'attaque terroriste la plus meurtrière de son histoire" [Burkina Faso has suffered the deadliest terrorist attack in its history]. Le Monde. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
- ^ "Burkina Faso: une gendarmerie attaquée près de la frontière malienne" [Burkina Faso: Gendarmerie attacked near Malian border] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Le Burkina Faso va renforcer la sécurité de ses postes de police frontaliers" [Burkina Faso to strengthen security at border police posts] (in French). Radio France Internationale. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Decade of Sahel conflict leaves 2.5 million people displaced" (Press release). United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 14 January 2022. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ a b c "Dozens Killed In Latest Militants' Attack In Burkina Faso". Sahara Reporters. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "'Terrorists' kill dozens in Burkina Faso". Le Monde. Agence France-Presse. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Le Cam, Morgane (27 August 2024). "At least 100 civilians killed in one of the deadliest attacks in Burkina Faso's history". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.