Burkina Faso Terrorist Attack: What we know about the terror group

On February 15, 2026, the government of Ghana confirmed a terrorist attack targeting a truck carrying Ghanaian tomato traders in northern Burkina Faso.

Reports indicate that the traders were passing through the town of Titao on February 14, 2026, when their vehicle came under attack.

On February 16, 2026, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic acronym JNIM, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group said it had killed “dozens of Burkinabe soldiers” during the raid.

Titao, the scene of the attack, has experienced repeated militant assaults since 2019, reflecting the ongoing instability in northern Burkina Faso.

Ghanaian tomato traders caught in terrorist attack in Burkina Faso - Ministry of Interior

The Sahel region, where the town is located, remains one of West Africa’s most volatile zones, with civilians and cross-border traders frequently exposed to security threats.

About The Extremist Group JNIM

Jama’at Nusrat Al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), also known as “Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims,” is an Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist organization operating across the Sahel region.

The group formed in 2017 has grown to become the dominant armed force in West Africa, posing an expanding threat to regional security.

JNIM is a coalition of several extremist factions, including the Macina Liberation Front (MLF), the Sahara branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Al-Mourabitoun, and Ansar Dine.

These groups merged to form a single, more organised force under the JNIM banner.

The extremist group is led by Iyad Ag Ghaly, a veteran Tuareg militant from Mali. He is supported by Amadou Kouffa, head of the Macina Liberation Front, who plays a crucial role in recruitment, particularly within the Fulani community.

The group is primarily based in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso but has extended its operations south into coastal West African countries such as Togo, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire. In late 2025, it carried out its first known attack on Nigerian soil.

As of 2025, analysts estimate that JNIM commands between 5,000 and 6,000 fighters, making it the most powerful extremist group in the Sahel.

Watch as fuel tanker catches fire after accident on Nsawam Accra-Road



AK/AM