An affiliate of Al Qaeda* in Burkina Faso, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM*), has claimed responsibility for the assault of over 100 Burkinabe soldiers in a brutal attack on June 11 in the Mansila area near the Niger border, Western media reported, citing the SITE Intelligence Group.
The insurgents reportedly "stormed a military post in the town, where they killed 107 soldiers and took control of the site" five days ago.
According to the reports, the terrorists published videos allegedly showing the military camp being the scene of heavy shooting, dozens of guns and ammunition, and at least seven Burkina Faso troops who have been taken prisoner.
Insurgencies associated with the Daesh* and al-Qaeda have afflicted Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali for over ten years, resulting in thousands of fatalities and forcing over two million people to flee their homes. Since rebels continue to hold substantial territory in Burkina Faso and Mali and use these regions as bases to target southern coastal nations, the instability is now posing a danger to regional stability.
In order to combat the threat of terrorism, the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger signed a charter for the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023 to create a collective defense architecture.
With support not only from within the AES but also from Russia, which sent specialists to train the member states law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism, the bloc's aim is to make the AES armed forces more resilient and operationally strong against all conceivable threats.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed during a visit to the West African nation earlier this month that Moscow intended to expand the number of Russian military training opportunities in Burkina Faso.
* terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries around the world.