An official from the town of Ouhigouya in Burkina Faso reported yesterday, citing information from the police, that "about 60 civilians were killed last Friday in the northern part of the country by individuals dressed in Burkinabe army uniforms."
Local prosecutor Lamin Kabore noted that "an investigation has begun following the attack on the village of Karma in the Yatenga province, a border area near Mali, which has been plagued by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS, and has faced repeated attacks for years."
On April 15, attackers killed 40 people and injured 33 others in an assault on the army and volunteer forces in the same area in northern Burkina Faso, near Ouhigouya, according to the government.
Human Rights Watch reported in March that "attacks by armed groups on civilians have escalated since 2022, while security forces and volunteer defense forces have carried out a number of violent operations within the framework of counter-terrorism."
The unrest in the region began in 2012 when Islamists hijacked a Tuareg separatist uprising. The violence subsequently spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, leading to thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2.5 million people.
