Deadly attack by Jihadist near Ghana border leaves four Burkinabe soldiers dead

A weekend attack by the jihadist group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in Burkina Faso has left four government militiamen dead, with their weapons taken away.

JoyNews correspondent Eliasu Tanko reported from the Upper East Region that the incident happened on Saturday, August 23, in Bittou, a town near the Ghanaian border in the Bawku Municipality, raising concerns about the growing insecurity in the area.

The victims were members of the Volunteers for the Protection of the Fatherland (VDP), a civilian force set up by the Burkinabe government to support the regular army in its fight against a deadly insurgency.

Military sources in Burkina Faso familiar with the matter said, “A small team of VDP went into the bush and encountered bad guys [jihadists]. Very wrong.”

The attack is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in the region. JNIM, a major al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the Sahel, has also claimed responsibility for a June attack in Mongade, near Kulungugu, and another in March in Garanga, near Nware in Ghana’s Pusiga District.

These repeated strikes highlight the fragile security along the border between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

In response, Burkinabe security and defence forces have launched operations along the borders with Ghana and Togo. The confirmed presence of jihadists in these areas shows the cross-border nature of the threat and the risk of the conflict spilling over.

The ongoing operations aim to neutralise the militants and restore calm in affected communities…CONTINUE MORE READING>>>