Several people were killed and trucks set on fire when a militia group attacked traders in northern Burkina Faso, prompting a swift military response that forced the attackers to retreat.
The assault happened on February 13 in Titao, a town near the border with Mali, about 235 kilometres from Ouagadougou. According to initial reports, the attackers targeted traders, including some believed to be from Ghana, killing an unspecified number of people and burning several trucks at the scene.
After receiving word of the attack, Burkinabe soldiers moved in and engaged the militia, killing several of them and seizing weapons. The intervention helped contain the violence, though losses were described as significant.
In an interview with Ghanaian journalist Ibrahim Abode, a Burkinabe police officer confirmed the incident but said authorities are still trying to determine the full scale of casualties.
“Yes, there was a terrorist attack yesterday in Titao. There were deaths, but I do not have information confirming that there were Ghanaians among them. Our military forces repelled the attack to limit the damage, but there were still considerable losses,” the officer said.
While the police have not officially confirmed whether any Ghanaians were among the victims, some Ghanaian traders in the area have suggested that their colleagues were affected.
The attack comes as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger continue to face persistent violence from armed groups linked to JNIM, a security crisis that has disrupted trade, strained livelihoods and deepened instability across the region.
Ibrahim Abode || Metro News
