Trending 
Two deadly terrorist assaults in northeastern Burkina Faso earlier this week claimed the lives of “several dozens” of soldiers and civilians, according to two security officials and a local source who spoke to AFP on Friday.
The first, described as a “major” attack, struck on Monday when “armed terrorist groups” targeted a military unit in the village of Dargo. “Several dozens of deaths on each side” were recorded, said one of the regional security sources.
The second attack, also on Monday, targeted a supply convoy travelling between the towns of Dori and Gorom-Gorom. “In that ambush, several soldiers were killed, along with civilians, notably truck drivers transporting supplies,” said the second source.
A road haulage company manager corroborated the convoy assault, revealing that “some 20 drivers and their apprentices were killed”.
Responsibility for the strike on the military base was claimed on Tuesday by JNIM — an Al-Qaeda-linked armed Islamist group operating across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The group said it had killed 40 Burkinabe soldiers.
The United Nations has identified JNIM as the most potent threat currently operating in the Sahel region.
Burkina Faso has suffered from repeated attacks carried out by both JNIM and the Islamic State group since 2015.
Wamaps, a collective of West African journalists focused on security in the Sahel, described the Dargo assault as one of the most lethal incidents targeting Burkina’s forces “in recent weeks”.
Posting on X, Wamaps cited local accounts that estimated around 50 soldiers were killed.
Concerning the convoy attack, the group stated that “nearly 200 terrorists” affiliated with the Islamic State in the Sahel were believed to be involved. “Some 15 escort soldiers were killed and more than 10 drivers executed,” it added.
