Burkina Faso militant attack

This item appears on page 5 of the January 2022 issue.

Militants attacked a military post in northern Burkina Faso on Nov. 14, killing 49 military police officers and four civilians. No group was identified as being responsible for the attack, but a number of Islamist militant groups allied with al Qaeda or Daesh (ISIL) are present in the area or across the nearby borders with Mali and Niger. It was the deadliest militant attack in Burkina Faso since Islamist militants first began operating in the country in 2017.

Another military outpost in the area was attacked at the same time, but the attackers were repulsed and no casualties were suffered.