Nassougou attack
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| Nassougou attack | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Islamist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
~1,000 soldiers 1 helicopter | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
150–200 killed 116 vehicles destroyed (per JNIM) | Unknown | ||||||
On August 8, 2024, a convoy of Burkinabe army vehicles headed to Fada N'Gourma from Diapaga were ambushed by militants from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), killing between 150 and 200 Burkinabe soldiers and militiamen. While the Burkinabe junta has not released a statement confirming the death toll, the attack marks the deadliest incident against Burkinabe soldiers since the start of the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso.
Violence by jihadist groups increased exponentially since the September 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état that overthrew putschist Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who came to power in a coup that January.[1] Much of the violence was caused by the al-Qaeda-aligned Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and its affiliates in Burkina Faso and the Islamic State – Sahil Province, which have besieged towns and launched deadly attacks on Burkinabe soldiers and pro-government militiamen.[2]
In early July, a convoy of traders escorted by the Burkinabe Army left Fada N'Gourma, Est Region with the aim of supplying Diapaga.[3] The two towns were 150 kilometers apart, but the convoy followed an arc bending north to supply other towns along the way.[3] Slowed down by the explosions of several landmines, the convoy reached Diapaga on the night between July 15 and 16.[3] It continued further towards Partiaga, twenty-five kilometers southwest, to supply the area with reinforcements.[3] The convoy then continued further towards Tawori, near the village of Kalbouli and the Boungou gold mine.[3]
The convoy began its return journey in early August, taking a different route through Ougarou, which was the fastest route to Fada N'Gourma.[3] The road passed through a forest controlled by jihadists from JNIM, and hadn't been in use since a November 2019 attack that left 39 people dead.[3]