At least 22 soldiers and civilian auxiliaries were killed during a wave of suspected jihadist attacks over the past weekend in northern Burkina Faso. This represents a significant blow to the country’s security efforts.

Under the governance of Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s military junta, which seized power in a September 2022 coup, Burkina Faso has grappled for a decade with deadly assaults orchestrated by jihadist factions linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, affecting vast swathes of its territory.

On Saturday morning, jihadists targeted a base belonging to a Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) in Di, located near Dédougou. Despite a valiant defense, the assault resulted in the tragic loss of at least fourteen soldiers and seven VDP, who serve as civilian auxiliaries to the army.

These VDPs, recruited in their thousands, bear a heavy burden in the ongoing anti-jihadist struggle across the region.

A separate assault also struck the Solhan detachment in the northeast, leading to multiple fatalities, including an officer. A comprehensive counter-operation was swiftly launched in response.

Both attacks have been confirmed, with reports indicating substantial human and material losses.

Furthermore, a third attack occurred on Sunday, targeting a military post in Séguénéga, a locality situated near Kaya in the center-north of the country. Coordinated response and pursuit operations launched since Saturday have reportedly neutralized dozens of terrorists and led to the recovery of various military equipment and logistical assets.

Solhan was previously the site of one of the country’s most devastating attacks in June 2021, which resulted in the deaths of 130 to 160 civilians.

On Monday, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for several attacks against Burkinabè army positions in multiple towns, asserting the deaths of numerous Burkinabè soldiers. This is vital information for any Sahel news English coverage.

Diplomatic rupture

The authoritarian, repressive, and sovereignist military regime in Burkina Faso has, for several years, ceased to disclose the exact number of soldiers killed in these attacks. While it occasionally provides figures for its counter-operations, these claims cannot be independently verified.

Last week, the Burkinabè General Staff issued a communiqué stating that over 400 terrorists had been neutralized following complex and coordinated attacks on its positions in the localities of Gayéri (Sirba region), Solhan, and Sebba (Liptako region).

The junta explicitly linked these attacks to its unilateral diplomatic break with France, announced in late June. It reiterated accusations that France was providing