Terrorists linked to Al Qaeda kill 200 soldiers in…., US based intelligence group says…

New Delhi: In the African country of Burkina Faso, a terrorist organization linked to Al Qaeda has launched a fierce attack on the army. The group also claimed to have killed 200 soldiers. The attack targeted a military base, a police station and a market. The attack is considered to be one of the biggest attacks in Burkina Faso’s history. In the neighbourhood of Burkina Faso there are countries such as Mali and Niger, which themselves have long suffered from terrorist attacks. The entire area has become a stronghold of al-Qaeda-backed militants.

200 soldiers killed

The al-Qaida-linked group claimed that 200 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base in Burkina Faso this week, according to an NGO that monitors the online activities of armed groups. The base in the northern city of Djibo came under attack early Sunday morning, 18 May 2025, targeting a police station and a market. Although there were no official casualties, residents of Djibo said dozens of soldiers and civilians were killed in the attacks.

Surge in terrorist activities

A Burkina Faso military source told Al Jazeera that the armed group was exaggerating the number of casualties. The United States-based SITE Intelligence Group said that Jamaat Nusrat ul-Islam wa Al-Muslimeen (JNIM) has made this claim in a formal statement. The group monitors the online activities of armed groups in Africa. “The operation is being carried out in the midst of increased activities of the JNIM in Burkina Faso over the past month, which has led to a large number of casualties,” SITE said.

Terrorists driving people out of cities

The organization previously said that Osman Diko, the head of JNIM in Burkina Faso, appeared in a video in which he ordered residents of Djibo to leave the city for their own safety. Reporting from Dakar, Senegal, Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haq said the attack lasted several days. “One of the key military checkpoints protecting this city of about 200,000 people was destroyed, so much so was the firepower of the armed groups,” Haq said.

A video circulating on social media by the al-Qaida-linked group warned people to leave their homes and said it would capture more territory.

One of Burkina Faso’s deadliest attacks

“This is one of the deadliest attacks in Burkina Faso, and it has happened at the exact same time that Ibrahim Traoré (Burkina Faso’s military leader) is saying that the country is occupying territory, encouraging people to go back to their homes, but this latest attack proves the opposite,” Haq said.

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