Goulgountou mosque attack

Last updated
Goulgountou mosque attack
Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
Location Goulgountou, Burkina Faso
DateJanuary 11, 2023
Deaths9
PerpetratorUnknown
Motive Jihadism

On January 11, 2023, unknown jihadists killed nine civilians at a mosque in Goulgountou, Burkina Faso.

Contents

Background

Sahel Region, where Goulgountou is located, has been the heart of the jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso that began in 2015 and intensified in 2019. The two main jihadist groups in the region are Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin and Ansarul Islam. [1] Around the time of the attacks in Goulgountou, JNIM kidnapped dozens of women and children in Arbinda.

Attacks

In the afternoon of January 11, jihadists attacked VDP stationed at mines in of Debere and Korizena, near Goulgountou, killing at least two VDP. [2] [1] The attackers then went towards Goulgountou, arriving on eight motorcycles, and proceeding to intimidate worshippers inside a mosque in the neighborhood of Ticknawell. [3] [4] The jihadists pressured the worshippers to convert to the jihadists' sect of Islam. [5] When the local imam argued back, the jihadists threatened him with his throat slit. The imam stated he would only die standing, so he was shot. [6] Eight other worshippers were killed in similar ways. [6]

Aftermath

Following the attack, Goulgountou residents fled the town. [6] The Burkinabe announced counter-terrorism operations in the area shortly following the attack. [6]

Related Research Articles

On 16 February 2020 a large group of gunmen attacked a Protestant service being hosted in the village of Pansi, Burkina Faso. Pansi, a rural village in Yagha Province in the Sahel Region of Burkina Faso, was targeted by terrorists who wanted to loot supplies and dissuade the local population from attending or supporting church services.

On 3 May 2021, Islamic militants attacked Kodyel, a village in Foutouri, Burkina Faso. The attack left at least 30 people dead and another 20 injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solhan and Tadaryat massacres</span> Insurgent attacks in Burkina Faso

On 4 and 5 June 2021, insurgents attacked the Solhan and Tadaryat villages in the Yagha Province of Burkina Faso. The massacres left at least 174 people dead. Insurgents have been attacking the Sahel Region, along the border with Mali, since Islamists captured parts of Mali in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso</span> Ongoing insurgency in Burkina Faso (2015–present)

An ongoing war and civil conflict between the Government of Burkina Faso and Islamist rebels began in August 2015 and has led to the displacement of over 2 million people and the deaths of at least 10,000 civilians and combatants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamist insurgency in the Sahel</span> Insurgency throughout the Sahel and West Africa

An Islamist insurgency has been ongoing in the Sahel region of West Africa since the 2011 Arab Spring. In particular, the intensive conflict in the three countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso has been referred to as the Sahel War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siege of Djibo</span> Battle between Burkina Faso and Jihadist rebels

The siege of Djibo is an ongoing blockade of the city of Djibo in Burkina Faso by several factions of Jihadist Islamist rebels. The siege began in February 2022, and is part of the Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso.

The Mondoro attack took place on 4 March 2022, when al-Qaeda-linked jihadists attacked a Malian military base, causing heavy casualties.

In early July 2022, two separate massacres occurred in Bourasso, Kossi Province and Namissiguima Department, Yatenga Province in Burkina Faso. The massacre in Bourasso killed 22 people, and the one in Namissiguima killed 12.

In early April 2023, jihadists killed at least 44 civilians in the towns of Kourakou and Tondobi in Séno Province, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso.

On April 8, 2022, unknown jihadists ambushed a Burkinabe military base near the town of Namissiguima, in Sanmatenga Province, Burkina Faso.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Boala attack</span>

On December 7, 2022, ten Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland militants, a Burkinabe civilian militia, were killed at a market in Boala Department, Centre-Nord Region, Burkina Faso. A second attack on December 10 killed seven civilians.

On March 20, 2022, unknown jihadists ambushed Burkinabe soldiers in Natiaboani, Gourma Province, Burkina Faso, killing thirteen soldiers and an unknown number of jihadists.

The battle of Boulikessi took place between September 30 and October 1, 2019. Jihadists from JNIM and Ansarul Islam attacked Malian bases in Boulikessi and Mondoro, killing between 40 and 85 Malian soldiers, making it the deadliest attack for the Malian army since the Second Battle of Kidal in 2014.

On December 30, 2022, dozo militants affiliated with the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) killed over 88 civilians in Nouna, Burkina Faso.

On March 5, 2017, jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin attacked Malian forces in Boulikessi. The attack was the first by JNIM since its inception that month.

Goulgountou is a locality located in Falagountou department of Séno Province, Sahel Region, Burkina Faso.

On January 15, 2016, unknown militants ambushed Malian forces near Wanna, in Goundam Cercle, Mali.

On January 28, 2023, suspected Islamic State jihadists attacked Burkinabe soldiers and Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) militiamen in the city of Falagountou, Burkina Faso.

On January 28, 2023, suspected Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin militants stopped two buses headed from Banfora to Mangodara near the village of Linguekoro, Comoé Province, Burkina Faso, and killed fifteen passengers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Burkina Faso: Armed attacks leave at least nine dead in several Sahel Region villages Jan. 11". Burkina Faso: Armed attacks leave at least nine dead in several Sahel Region villages Jan. 11 | Crisis24. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  2. ↑ Traore, Oumou (January 11, 2023). "Burkina Faso : deux supplétifs de l'armée tués dans une attaque dans le Sahel". Maliactu. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ Vodjo, Casimir (2023-01-13). "Burkina: au moins 9 morts dans une attaque armée contre une mosquée". Benin Web TV (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  4. ↑ AFP, Staff Writer With (2023-01-12). "Nine Killed in Mosque Attack in Burkina Faso". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  5. ↑ AFP, Staff Writer With (2023-01-12). "Nine Killed in Mosque Attack in Burkina Faso". The Defense Post. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Biedermann, Karol (2023-01-13). "Burkina Faso : 09 morts dans une attaque terroriste contre une mosquée". Sahel Intelligence (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-10.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.