A terrorist attack by an Islamic militant group has left hundreds of civilians dead in the town of Barsalogho, less than a hundred miles from Ouagadougou, capital of the West African nation Burkina Faso.
The attack is the latest incident in a wave of violence that has embroiled the nation for years, with jihadist groups who aim to establish an Islamic caliphate across the region seeking to undermine what they consider Western-influenced governments. Authorities are attributing the latest atrocity to Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked group.
Townsfolk were digging defensive ditches when they were attacked by the heavily armed Islamist group, with eyewitnesses reporting that the attack left corpses strewn around the scene, lying next to the shovels that were all they had been carrying. Preliminary reports estimate between 200 to 400 people were killed, with many more injured.
Barsalogho had already been struggling to deal with the effects of Islamic violence, with the town providing refuge to almost 90,000 refugees, made up mostly of Christians who have fled from jihadist violence further north. UK-based Release International, which has been offering support to Christians all across Burkina Faso, are present in Barsalogho responding to the latest incident.
"Christians in Burkina Faso have been suffering attacks and displacement for several years now and many of those in Barsalogho had already fled from their homes and communities further north – thinking they would be safe there," CEO Paul Robinson said.
"However, these militant groups have proved that they will stop at nothing to seize control and impose their interpretation of Islam on everyone by force."
Since 2025, more than two million people have been displaced by Islamist violence in what is one of the world's poorest nations, creating a humanitarian crisis. Burkina Faso's Christians have been among the most impacted, with churches and schools regularly targeted, and believers facing the ever-present threat of death or kidnapping.
"Many Christian families have been forced to flee their villages because of the threat of attack. These displacements impact daily life, affecting access to basic services, education and the means of basic subsistence," a Release International partner working on the ground in Burkina Faso said.
Alongside the current violence, the country's inhabitants have also been forced to live through military coups - two as recently as 2022- as well as face repeated droughts and famine. The atmosphere of chronic insecurity has caused Burkina Faso's people to lose faith in their government's ability to protect and provide for its citizens.
Release International, which operates in around thirty countries around the world, is currently offering support to the many pastors and widows in Burkina Faso who have been displaced by the violence against Christians, initially providing food and hygiene products before assisting them in getting started earning a living. The organisation is also engaged in helping ensure access to education for the children of displaced Christian families.
Release International is currently running an appeal asking Christians for their support in meeting the ongoing needs of those who have been forced to flee violence.
