Burkina Faso: 50 soldiers killed in militant attack; Al-Qaida-linked group suspected – Times of India

Fifty soldiers were killed on Monday in a deadly attack on a military base in northern Burkina Faso. The assault is believed to have been carried out by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaida-linked militant group operating across West Africa.The attack took place in Dargo, located in Boulsa province, and involved around 100 armed fighters, a community leader and a local resident told the Associated Press on Tuesday. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of military reprisals.The gunmen burned and looted the base following the attack, the sources said.As of Tuesday, the military government in Burkina Faso had not publicly acknowledged the incident.JNIM has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks across the region, targeting both civilians and security forces. In Burkina Faso, it is part of a broader insurgency that has taken control of large swathes of territory, particularly in remote rural areas.The worsening violence has deepened political instability in the country, contributing to two military coups in less than a year. Despite pledges to restore order, the ruling junta under Captain Ibrahim Traoré has struggled to contain the escalating insurgency or reclaim areas held by armed groups.