| Belehede massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
| Location | Belehede, Soum Province, Burkina Faso |
| Date | June 18, 2019 3pm – 5pm |
| Deaths | 18 |
| Injured | Unknown |
| Perpetrator |  Ansarul Islam (suspected) |
| Motive | Reprisal for government presence in village |
On June 18, 2019, jihadists suspected to be from Ansarul Islam attacked the village of Belehede, Soum Province, Burkina Faso, killing 18 civilians.
Soum Province in northern Burkina Faso has been a hotbed of jihadist activity since the start of the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso. [1] Tensions between Mossi groups and Fulani groups after the Yirgou massacre in early 2019 led to clashes between these groups in the provincial capital of Arbinda in April. [2] The tensions were stoked by the Fulani-majority jihadist group Ansarul Islam, which has a large presence in Soum. [2] On June 10, an Ansarul Islam attack killed 19 civilians in the center of Arbinda. [2]
Prior to the massacre, during "Operation Doofu", the Burkinabe military used Belehede's school as a launching pad for patrols in the area against jihadist groups. These groups later used the military presence as justification for the massacre. [3]
At around 3pm on June 18, a survivor of the attack stated she saw jihadists enter the town on motorcycles. As they entered, they broke into houses and shops, looting and pillaging the village. [3] The survivor said that the jihadists attacked the village because they accused the population of providing information and support to Burkinabe government forces. [3] All of the dead were Fulse and Mossi, with four children killed in the attack as well. [3]
On June 20, Minister of Defence Chérif Sy stated that "armed terrorist groups" attacked the village of Belehede, killing 17 civilians. [4] Sy also stated that government forces were conducting a counter-terrorist operation in the area. [4]
No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ansarul Islam is suspected due to it's presence in the area. [5] After the attack, many residents from Belehede joined pro-government VDP militias and fought in the Siege of Djibo. [5]