Kaïn massacre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fulani civilians (by Burkinabe government)
- 14 in Kaïn by jihadists
- 57-60+ in and around Kaïn by Burkinabe forces
| Kaïn massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
| Location | Kain Department, Banh, and Bomboro, Yatenga Province, Loroum Province, and Kossi Province, Burkina Faso |
| Date | February 3-4, 2019 |
| Target | Civilians (by jihadists) Fulani civilians (by Burkinabe government) |
| Deaths | 71-84+
|
| Perpetrator |  Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (initial attack) Burkina Faso Armed Forces (reprisal killings) |
No. of participants | 146 jihadists killed (per Burkinabe government) |
The Kaïn massacre refers to the February 4, 2019 attack by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) on the village of Kaïn, Yatenga Province, Burkina Faso that killed fourteen people. A reprisal counter-terrorist operation by Burkinabe forces following the attack reportedly killed 146 jihadists, although Human Rights Watch and local NGOS attested that at least 60 of the suspected jihadists killed were civilians.[1][2]
In early 2019, jihadist groups like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin and Ansarul Islam began launching more attacks on villages in northern Burkina Faso, with the Burkinabe government employing more indiscriminate counter-measures against the jihadist groups.[3] On December 31, 2018, the Burkinabe government created the pro-government militia Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), which was signed into law in January 2019.[3] On the same day of the VDP's creation, a small jihadist attack on a Mossi village led Mossi militias to kill over 210 mostly-Fulani civilians.[3]