The Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, has claimed responsibility for a deadly assault on a military base in Djibo, northern Burkina Faso, stating that 200 soldiers were killed in the attack.
According to security sources quoted by Reuters, the base came under heavy attack on Sunday morning as hundreds of militants stormed and destroyed the facility. A nearby police station and market were also reportedly targeted during the assault.
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Initially, the death toll was estimated at 60. However, by Thursday, the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group—which monitors jihadist online activity—reported that JNIM had raised the number of claimed casualties to 200.
The group had earlier released a video showing Ousmane Dicko, its Burkina Faso leader, warning Djibo residents to evacuate for their own safety.
As of now, Burkina Faso’s government has not officially confirmed the attack or provided an updated casualty figure.
This attack is part of a growing wave of violence across the Sahel, where jihadist groups continue to expand their operations amid political instability. Just last week, JNIM claimed responsibility for multiple assaults in Burkina Faso, coinciding with a diplomatic visit by junta leader Ibrahim Traoré to Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, JNIM also claimed a deadly attack in neighboring Benin Republic on April 24 that left 54 soldiers dead. In Nigeria’s Borno State, Boko Haram fighters reportedly killed at least five soldiers during recent assaults on military outposts.
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