By Our Correspondent
National News – At least 14 soldiers were killed when suspected jihadist fighters linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) attacked a military post in Bagade, northern Burkina Faso, security officials said on Tuesday.
The assault occurred on Saturday and is one of the latest deadly incidents in the country’s worsening security crisis driven by extremist groups affiliated with Al‑Qaeda and Islamic State.
According to security sources who spoke anonymously, the attackers stormed the military position and engaged troops in a violent confrontation.
Officials confirmed a provisional death toll of 14 soldiers, while several others remain missing after the raid.
Authorities said government forces launched a counterattack shortly after the incident.
Security officials noted that troops made efforts to “neutralise” the perpetrators during the response operation, with several militants reportedly killed.
Local security monitoring group WAMAPS reported that nearly 20 soldiers and civilian volunteers supporting the military may have died in the attack.
The group also revealed that JNIM released a disturbing video allegedly showing the bodies of about 15 soldiers, some reportedly burned.
The volunteers involved in the fight are members of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDPs), a civilian auxiliary force created to support Burkina Faso’s military operations against extremist groups.
Burkina Faso, ruled by a military junta since a 2022 coup, has battled jihadist insurgency for more than a decade, particularly in its northern and eastern regions.
Although authorities recently claimed progress against militant groups, attacks have surged again in recent weeks.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) shows that more than 130 people were killed in multiple jihadist attacks over a 10-day period in February.
Security analysts say the wider Sahel region—including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—remains one of the world’s most dangerous zones for extremist violence.
According to the United Nations, the decision by the three military-led countries to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has weakened regional cooperation, complicating efforts to tackle escalating terrorist threats across the Sahel.
