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An attack in central Burkina Faso has reportedly left up to 200 people dead, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the country as violence continues to escalate in the region.
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an armed organization associated with al-Qaeda, has taken responsibility for an assault that resulted in the death of approximately 200 individuals and left at least 140 injured in central Burkina Faso.
On Saturday, the assault occurred in Barsalogho region situated approximately 40km (25 miles) to the north of Kaya- an essential town safeguarding Ouagadougou as per experts.
Teams of people were targeted by fighters as they dug trenches to safeguard security outposts. The attack resulted in several soldiers going missing, and the assailants seizing weapons along with a military ambulance.
Al Jazeera’s Nicholas Haque reported from Dakar, Senegal that JNIM had posted distressing videos depicting the consequences of the assault.
He observed that individuals of all ages and genders were lying in the trenches they had dug, essentially transforming them into mass graves. He further mentioned that medical personnel from Kaya have been summoned by the hospital located nearby to attend to those who sustained injuries during the assault.
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On Friday, Haque observed that the Burkina Faso military was aware of an imminent assault and instructed citizens to excavate trenches.
He added that the desperation of Burkina Faso’s forces is exposed by their loss of control over half their territory to armed groups associated with al-Qaeda.
Western nations, including France, that previously aided Burkina Faso’s security forces in combatting armed groups have been cut off by the country.
According to Haque, the government has recently enlisted the support of Russian mercenary fighters not only for strategic purposes but also to counteract attacks.
Haque mentioned that despite receiving assistance, the attacks are inching closer towards the capital. He also acknowledged that since coming into power through a coup in 2022, the country’s military leaders have faced numerous attempted coups owing to dissatisfaction with their handling of armed groups’ combat operations.
For over a decade, armed groups have caused the death of thousands and led to displacement of more than two million people in Burkina Faso.
According to the latest report by Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the country has ranked first on the list of most overlooked displacement crises globally.
According to the NRC, last year’s violence claimed the lives of over 8,400 individuals – a figure that is twice as high as the previous year.
