More than 130 people have been killed following a wave of coordinated attacks by the Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin across northern and eastern Burkina Faso, according to security analysts and local sources.
According to the AFP, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group has claimed responsibility for a series of large-scale assaults carried out between February 12 and 22, targeting military installations and security personnel in several regions of the country.
Burkina Faso, which has been under military rule since 2022, continues to grapple with over a decade of insurgent violence linked to extremist groups operating in the Sahel, including factions aligned with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Analysts say the latest attacks reflect a renewed operational tempo by JNIM after months of relatively reduced activity.
“Since February 14, JNIM has claimed responsibility for at least 10 attacks across different regions,” said Hasret Kargin, an Africa researcher at intelligence firm Mintel World.
One of the deadliest incidents reportedly occurred on February 15 when militants attacked a military base in Titao in the northwest, killing dozens of soldiers. On the same day, about 50 forestry officers were killed in an ambush in the eastern town of Tandjari.
Several civilians were also caught in the violence, including foreign traders, according to local reports.
Conflict analyst Heni Nsaibia of ACLED described the operations as highly coordinated.
“This latest round demonstrated a high degree of coordination, given the number of large-scale attacks that occurred within a short timeframe,” Nsaibia said. “Over 130 people — including soldiers, civilian auxiliaries and JNIM fighters — were killed in these battles.”
Security experts note that many of the recent attacks occurred in areas considered financially and strategically significant for armed groups.
“These are zones with numerous gold mining sites and key smuggling routes that sustain the group’s activities,” a Burkinabe security analyst said, speaking anonymously.
The northern region is viewed as a corridor linking Burkina Faso to militant strongholds in neighbouring Mali, while the eastern region provides access to cross-border routes into Niger, Benin and other coastal West African states.
According to researchers, dense forest areas in the east offer cover from aerial surveillance while enabling illegal timber trade and control over artisanal gold mining.
Although the military government recently stated that it now controls about 74 per cent of national territory and has reclaimed hundreds of villages, analysts say the scale of recent attacks raises concerns.
“The question is not whether attacks have stopped — they haven’t,” a Burkinabe political scientist said.
“The real concern is how these groups continue to inflict such heavy losses despite claims of improved military capacity.”
A recent United Nations Security Council report also noted that JNIM had appointed a senior commander in eastern Burkina Faso tasked with expanding operations into neighbouring countries, including Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger and Togo.
Observers warn that the latest violence underscores the fragile security situation in Burkina Faso and the broader Sahel region, where extremist groups remain active despite ongoing military campaigns.
