Operation Laabingol

Since 2015, northern and eastern Burkina Faso have experienced an insurgency involving groups such as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and Ansarul Islam.^[1]

In November and December 2021, attacks in Inata and Titao resulted in significant casualties among Burkinabè security forces.^[2]

Public protests took place in Ouagadougou amid criticism of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré’s handling of the security crisis.^[3]

Little is known about the details of the operation, although French and Burkinabe officials stated that it took place between January 16 and 23, 2022.^[4] On four occasions within the operation, several groups of jihadists were "located, identified, and neutralized" according to the French Ministry of Defence.^[5] Several hundred Burkinabe soldiers took part in the operation.^[5]

On the first day, January 16, a Eurocopter Tiger helicopter ambushed a patrol of jihadists near Gorom-Gorom.^[4] Between January 17 and 18, a column of jihadist vehicles was bombed by French planes guided by Burkinabe units.^[4] On January 23, another group of jihadists was bombed near Djibo by drones and French Mirage 2000s, destroying about ten motorcycles.^[4]

French officials stated on January 30 that nearly sixty jihadists had been "put out of action" and around twenty motorcycles and armed pick-ups were destroyed. The Burkinabe army stated in a press release on January 31 that 163 jihadists had been "neutralized", including 60 during joint Franco-Burkinabe operations. The Burkinabe statement added that one Burkinabe soldier was killed and two were wounded.^[6] They also claimed a jihadist leader named Mdouli, also known as Abdramane, was killed during the operation.^[6]