Authorities say at least 35 people were killed and a dozen injured Monday in a suspected jihadi roadside bombing in northern Burkina Faso.
The roadside bomb hit a supply convoy escorted by the army between the towns of Bourzanga and Djibo, with one of the vehicles carrying a number of civilians, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Wounded individuals have been evacuated, and the area surrounding the bombing has been secured, the Sahel region’s Gov. Lt. Col. Rodolphe Sorgho said, according to the outlet.
A suspected jihadi roadside bomb has hit a convoy in northern Burkina Faso, killing at least 35 people and injuring dozens more. https://t.co/HxxVn3gQ05
— AP Africa (@AP_Africa) September 6, 2022
No terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the explosion thus far, but Islamic extremist rebels are suspected as the area has been under siege by jihadis for months, AP continued. Thousands in Burkina Faso have died as a result of al-Qaida and Islamic State-driven violence, which includes four other explosions near Djibo since August, the outlet reported. In June, 55 civilians were killed over the course of one weekend in suspected jihadi attacks. (RELATED: Five Americans Among Those Shot By Palestinian Terrorist)
Soldiers in the West African nation staged a mutiny in January against the democratically-elected leadership, largely driven by what they believed was mishandling Islamic extremism. Monday’s attack came one day after the interim President Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba claimed progress was being made in pushing jihadis back, AP continued. Analysts reportedly suggest the attack dampened the credibility of Damiba’s claim.