Bodies Pile Up in Burkina Faso as Armed Terrorists Linked to Al-Qaeda Kills 30 in Marketplace

On May 30, unknown gunmen on motorbikes suddenly fired into the crowded market located in the town of Kompienga. According to the residents and the witnesses, there were around 30 people who were killed in the incident.

Terrorist attack

The attack happened in eastern Burkina Faso on a cattle market in Kompienga. The authorities have no clue who was behind the killings but the area has seen a rise in inter-communal clashes and jihadist violence in recent months.

The said violence has forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes and relocate. The local media reported that 20 people were killed in the incident, they also quoted sources who stated that the death toll could be higher.

Hours after the report was released, the AFP news agency released an article that states 30 people died in the horrifying attack.

On May 29, around 15 people were killed by Islamist militants. The people were near the border of Mali when a convoy of traders open fired.

The local government stated that the vicious attack was done by terrorists, and all fingers were pointed to the notorious groups, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, both of which caused problems in Burkina Faso for years.

Also Read: George Floyd Autopsy: Family Rejects Findings by Medical Examiners, Will Seek Private Autopsy

Al-Qaeda in Africa

Despite the claims of the government that they have the Islamist militants under control, the terrorist activities in the north and east of Burkina Faso has escalated. Jihadists have also targeted schools in the area, forcing more than 300,000 to stop attending their classes.

In West Africa's Sahel region, the Islamic State group or IS revealed that it is engaged in clashes with al-Qaeda militants in Burkina Faso and Mali. The revelation was made by IS on May 7 in a detailed report in its newspaper al-Naba.

IS blamed Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin or JNIM, which is al-Qaeda's Sahel affiliate, for starting the fight and for mobilizing massive forces to attack them in two countries.

Both groups have already clashed in other jihadists areas such as Somali, Yemen, and Syria, as they are competing for resources, recruits, and influence. The article pointed out by IS contradicts the reports of mainstream media that suggested that the two groups were collaborating.

The clash of the two groups has an impact on jihadist operations against foreign and local troops in the Sahel, where both have attacked in 2019. IS also decried recent al-Qaeda attacks on IS militants in Burkina Faso and Mali.

The report stated that JNIM had prepared massive forces to target IS on numerous occasions in both countries since April, on the orders of Iyad Ag Ghaly, and Amadou Koufa IS has also claimed that JNIM was blocking fuel supplies from reaching IS militants and detaining locals suspecting of supporting IS.

According to IS, the move done by JNIM coincides with an upscale in operations against IS by regional French and African troops in the Sahel. IS also claimed that JNIM also used the conditions as a change to target IS at this time.

IS was the only group facing JNIM now since JNIM has already agreed to talk to the local government of Mali and they have already made peace with all of the government forces, both pro and anti groups in Mali. IS has also allegedly used the willingness of JNIM to talk to the authorities of Malian as their way to undermine the jihadist credentials of the al-Qaeda group.