At least 20 people were killed on Saturday in the northern town of Titao, Burkina Faso, in attacks claimed by JNIM, an Islamist militant group linked to al-Qaeda, according to reports.
Among the dead were seven Ghanaians who were “burnt beyond recognition” and have not yet been identified, Ghana’s Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak said.
The victims were part of a group of tomato traders travelling on a supply lorry that was targeted by the jihadists. Ghanaian officials said road access to the area remains blocked, making it impossible for embassy staff to reach the scene as efforts continue to evacuate other Ghanaian citizens who survived the attack.
The incident comes amid a spate of Islamist attacks that have taken place in northern and eastern Burkina Faso over the past four days.
Burkina Faso’s military rulers, who seized power promising to bring an end to jihadist violence, have not confirmed an official death toll for the latest wave of attacks.
However, on Sunday, an army spokesman insisted the situation was under control.
“Multiple attacks took place on Saturday in the north of the country. Our forces demonstrated valour and professionalism, inflicting a heavy defeat on the terrorists and neutralising several dozen of them,” said Lt Col Abdoul Aziz Ouedraogo in a broadcast on state-run RTB the following day.
Lt Col Ouedraogo said the attack followed recent military operations in the north and Sahel regions, which he said had forced militants to regroup westwards.
Witnesses describing the attack on Titao said the assailants split into three groups. One group targeted a military camp, another destroyed telecommunications facilities, while a third looted and burned shops and supply trucks.
Unnamed security sources quoted by the AFP news agency said “hundreds” of armed jihadists overran the Titao military camp, leaving it partially destroyed. The same sources also claimed militants carried out a major assault on a military detachment in the northern town of Nare. Neither account has been officially confirmed by the government.
Titao’s military base is considered particularly significant as it is believed to be one of the best-equipped within the Burkinabè army. Just two days earlier, French broadcaster RFI reported that suspected JNIM militants had seized control of Bilanga, killing 18 soldiers.
As of Monday, Ghana’s interior minister said he was in contact with Burkinabè authorities, who planned to proceed with burying the dead in the absence of embassy officials.
Some Ghanaian survivors would be asked to assist in the process, he said: “The women who sustained minor to no injuries have been asked to witness the burial of the dead to capture and document the process.”
He added that the bodies had already begun to decompose.
According to the minister, Burkinabè authorities had offered military support to “create a safe passage to move the unharmed women and the injured to our mission in Ouagadougou after the burial.”
The tomato and onion truck drivers’ association said the attackers set the vehicle on fire after the driver allegedly attempted to take cover.
The association has repeatedly called for improved security for traders who undertake cross-border journeys to countries such as Burkina Faso to purchase tomatoes and onions.
Eric Tuffour, speaking on behalf of the association, said the latest attack underscores the extreme dangers traders face as they work to transport vegetables for sale back home.
