Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claims assault on Djibo army outpost, SITE Intelligence Group says.
An al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed it killed 200 troopers in an assault on a Burkina Faso military base this week, in accordance with an NGO that tracks armed teams’ on-line exercise.
The bottom within the northern city of Djibo got here underneath assault on Sunday morning, and a police station and market had been additionally focused, safety sources instructed the information company Reuters. Though there was no official toll, three Djibo residents instructed Reuters that dozens of troopers and civilians had been killed.
Al Jazeera was not capable of independently confirm the loss of life toll. A Burkina Faso army supply instructed Al Jazeera that the armed group was exaggerating the variety of casualties.
The US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks on-line exercise of armed teams, stated Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) made the declare in a proper assertion.
“The operation comes amid elevated JNIM exercise in Burkina Faso over the previous month inflicting a excessive variety of casualties,” SITE stated.
The organisation beforehand stated Ousmane Dicko, head of JNIM in Burkina Faso, had appeared in a video urging residents of Djibo to depart the city for their very own security.
Reporting from Dakar, Senegal, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque stated the assault came about over quite a few days.
“One of many main army outposts that was supposed to guard this city of about 200,000 folks was razed to the bottom, such was the firepower of the armed teams,” stated Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque, reporting from Senegal, Dakar.
“This is likely one of the deadliest assaults in Burkina Faso, and it comes simply as Ibrahim Traore [Burkina Faso’s military leader] has been saying that the nation has been gaining territory, encouraging folks to return to their properties, however this newest assault proves the other,” stated Haque.
A video circulating on social media from the al-Qaeda affiliate warned folks to depart their properties and stated it will seize extra territories.
“What we’re seeing right here is the pivot level the place these armed teams that usually assault villages at the moment are attempting to take over cities. It’s a significant blow for Burkina Faso’s armed forces,” Haque stated, noting the assaults come simply as Traore was visiting Russia, asking President Vladimir Putin for extra coaching and arms to struggle off armed teams.
JNIM claimed duty for one more assault this week focusing on a army put up in Burkina Faso’s northern Loroum province by which the group stated 60 troopers had been killed, in accordance with SITE.
The assaults spotlight the difficulties the three Sahel nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, dominated by army leaders, are dealing with in containing the armed teams.
Burkina Faso authorities haven’t commented on the newest assaults.
A notable assault occurred within the Burkina city of Sole, the place JNIM fighters raided the military army put up and killed troopers, SITE Intelligence stated, with out specifying on which day it came about.
A Navy authorities took energy in Burkina Faso in 2022, however they’ve largely failed to supply stability, as greater than 60 % of the nation is estimated to be outdoors authorities management.
