At least 100 killed in central Burkina Faso in latest Al Qaeda attack

At least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in central Burkina Faso during a weekend attack on a village by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists, according to videos of the violence analyzed by a regional specialist, who's described the assault as one of the deadliest this year in the conflict-battered West African nation.

Villagers in the Barsalogho commune which is 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital city were helping security forces dig up trenches to protect security outposts and villages on Saturday when fighters with the Al Qaeda-linked JNIM group invaded the area and opened fire on them, said Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center security think tank.

Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday, saying in a statement that it gained "total control over a militia position" in Barsalogho in Kaya, a strategic town where security forces have used to fight off terrorists that have over the years tried to close in on the capital, Ouagadougou.

At least 100 bodies were counted in videos of the attack, Nasr said. The Associated Press could not independently verify the count but reviewed videos that appeared to be from the scene, showing bodies piled beside the trenches and shovels amid gunshots.

'Barbarity'

Burkina Faso's security minister Mahamadou Sana said in a state television broadcast on Sunday that the government responded to the attack with support from the ground and air. Among those killed were soldiers and civilians, the minister said, without stating the exact number of casualties.

"We are not going to accept such barbarity on the territory," Sana said. He said the government has directed medical and humanitarian assistance to all those affected and that authorities are committed to protecting lives.

About half of Burkina Faso is outside of government control as the country has been ravaged by growing terror attacks encircling the capital. The terrorists linked to Al Qaeda and Daesh have killed thousands and displaced more than two million people in one of the world's most neglected crises.

Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traore has also been requesting civilians to assist the military in security efforts. A civilian task force, Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), is already working closely with the military.

The trenches being dug in the Barsalogho commune are among the several that authorities urged civilians to help create in areas the terrorists are seeking control of.

The terrorists are becoming more successful because of a lack of efficient air cover and intelligence by security forces. They are also active because of ineffective control of areas bordering Mali and Niger, the two countries also struggling with violent attacks, according to Nasr.