At least 38 civilians killed in Burkina Faso in wave of JNIM attacks

Burkina Faso is facing another surge of violence as jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda intensify attacks on civilians. According to Human Rights Watch, militants killed at least 38 civilians and kidnapped nine women in less than a month.

The attacks are blamed on the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, also known as JNIM, one of the most powerful Islamist militant groups operating across the Sahel. The group has spent years expanding its insurgency across Burkina Faso and neighboring countries, including Benin.

Human Rights Watch documented three separate incidents between January 29 and February 22. In one case near the northern village of Solle, militants abducted nine women and threatened them with rape and death before releasing them the next day.

Then on February 14, fighters attacked a military base in the northern town of Titao. During the raid, at least 34 civilians were executed and homes and telecommunications infrastructure were burned.

Just days later, on February 22, another attack in the eastern town of Manni left four shopkeepers dead and several businesses destroyed.

The violence highlights the deepening crisis in Burkina Faso, where jihadist conflict since 2015 has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across the Sahel.