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A weekend assault by the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in Burkina Faso has left four members of a government-backed militia dead, with their weapons seized by the attackers.
According to a JoyNews report by correspondent Eliasu Tanko from Ghana’s Upper East Region, the incident occurred on Saturday, August 23, in Bittou, a town near the Ghanaian border within the Bawku Municipality.
The attack has heightened security concerns about the fragile situation along the Burkina Faso–Ghana frontier.
The victims were part of the Volunteers for the Protection of the Fatherland (VDP), a civilian force created by the Burkinabe government to support the national army in combating a prolonged jihadist insurgency.
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Military sources in Burkina Faso confirmed the incident, stating,
A small team of VDP went into the bush and encountered bad guys [jihadists]. Very wrong.
This latest attack is part of a series of violent escalations in the region.
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JNIM, a powerful al-Qaeda affiliate operating across the Sahel, has previously claimed responsibility for deadly assaults, including a June strike in Mongade near Kulungugu and a March raid in Garanga, close to Nware in Ghana’s Pusiga District.
These recurring incursions underscore the growing instability along the shared borders of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Togo, raising fears of a possible spillover into Ghanaian territory.
In response, Burkinabe security and defence forces have launched a sweep operation along the border zone, aiming to neutralise jihadist threats and restore calm to vulnerable communities.
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The attack in Bittou not only exposes the growing strength of jihadist groups in the Sahel but also signals the urgent need for tighter cross-border security collaboration.
With the threat edging closer to Ghana and Togo, regional governments face increasing pressure to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint military efforts to prevent further incursions and protect border communities.