In Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, a regional public prosecutor disclosed that approximately 170 individuals were “executed” during assaults on three villages in the northern region of the country a week ago. Aly Benjamin Coulibaly, the prosecutor, revealed that the attacks targeted the villages of Komsilga, Nodin, and Soroe in Yatenga province on February 25, resulting in substantial loss of life. Coulibaly emphasized that the reported death toll remains provisional, pending further investigation.

In addition to the loss of life, the attacks left numerous individuals injured and caused significant damage to property, as stated by the prosecutor’s office in the northern town of Ouahigouya. A formal inquiry has been initiated, with authorities urging the public to provide any pertinent information.

According to survivors interviewed by news agency AFP, a significant number of women and young children were among those killed in the assaults.

These attacks are distinct from other deadly incidents that occurred at a mosque and a church in northern Burkina Faso around the same time. Official casualty figures for those incidents have yet to be released by authorities.

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Burkina Faso has been grappling with a persistent jihadist insurgency linked to groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, which originated from neighboring Mali in 2015. The ongoing violence has resulted in the deaths of nearly 20,000 people and the displacement of over two million individuals in Burkina Faso, exacerbating the country’s already dire humanitarian situation. The region, situated in the Sahel, has been plagued by instability and insecurity.

Public frustration over the government’s inability to address the ongoing insecurity has played a significant role in triggering two military coups in 2022. The current leader, Ibrahim Traore, has prioritized efforts to combat rebel groups as a central aspect of his governance agenda.