Burkina Faso Village Attack: At Least 12 Killed. City, Country — Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — Suspected jihadists conducted a deadly attack on a village in Burkina Faso, leaving at least 12 civilians dead, including nine members of a volunteer force supporting the army, according to local and security sources on March 17.
The West African nation, which has been under a military junta since a 2022 coup, has endured over a decade of violence carried out by jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Over the weekend, a series of attacks targeting both the army and civilian volunteer fighters (VDP) occurred in various regions of the country.
In the most recent incident, armed fighters invaded the village of Dourtenga in the central — eastern part of Burkina Faso on Sunday. Nine members of the volunteer force, including their leader, were killed, along with three other civilians, one of whom was a woman.
The attackers caused substantial damage to the village, looting shops and setting several buildings ablaze.
The assault and the subsequent exchange of gunfire lasted over an hour, a local resident told AFP. Since the attack, many villagers have fled the area in fear of further attacks.
The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda-linked organization, claimed responsibility for several attacks against the army and volunteer forces last month.
According to conflict monitor ACLED, over 130 people were killed within roughly 10 days. Despite the escalating number of attacks, the military government asserts that it has reclaimed nearly three-quarters of the country and has assisted in the return of over one million displaced individuals to their home regions.
However, regional experts argue that Burkina Faso has not managed to break the cycle of violence that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers since 2015, with more than half of those deaths occurring in the past three years, according to ACLED.
The situation in Burkina Faso remains tense as the government continues its efforts to regain control and provide security for its citizens. Further details are expected to emerge as the situation develops.
