Al Qaeda affiliate claims responsibility for attack on forces in Burkina Faso

Al Qaeda affiliate Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) group on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an attack that targeted forces in Yatenga, Burkina Faso, killing over 50 personnel, the Site Intelligence Group said.

Seventeen soldiers and 36 volunteer fighters have been killed in heavy clashes with militants in northern Burkina Faso, the army said on Tuesday, the worst attack in months in the West African country that for years has been overrun by hardline militants.

Burkina Faso has been battling armed groups, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, in its desert north since 2015.

Attacks have worsened this year, making the country the epicentre of a violent movement that has also engulfed poverty-stricken Mali and Niger, killing thousands and forcing millions from their homes.