Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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The news from Burkina Faso, a nation becoming known for the hundreds of attacks perpetrated by Islamic terrorists within its borders, grew even dimmer this week when it was revealed that jihadists had killed 22 people last Sunday in the northwest of the country.
Tuesday, International Christian Concern (ICC), an organization that tracks and seeks to stem the tide of anti-Christian persecution worldwide, cited a report released by Burkina Faso’s government that confirmed the attack. Regional governor Babo Pierre Bassinga called the jihadists’ actions “cowardly and barbaric.”
Catholic News Agency reported that priests and local government officials shared that the attack took place on July 3.
“The terrorists entered the village of Bourasso on motorbikes … and went off again without doing anything… But they came back during the night, threatening the villagers in the square in front of the church,” Catholic News Agency quoted a survivor as having said.
As some victims stood near the church, they begged to be spared. This request was met with intense violence. A priest who witnessed the attacks said that at least 14 victims were murdered in front of the house of worship.
“These people have nothing to do with politics or terrorist groups,” the priest was quoted as saying. “They have nothing to defend themselves with when they are attacked. It’s absolute turmoil.”
He added, “In spite of everything, we keep up our hope. We keep up our courage to live the days that God has given us. Here, when you get up, you know that you are alive, but you don’t know if you will still be alive in the evening.”
According to ICC, from February through May of this year, jihadists committed 530 violent attacks within the borders of Burkina Faso. In June, alone, the terrorists launched 12 attacks that resulted in at least 135 deaths.
“The latest attack in northwestern Burkina Faso is another link to the chain of uncontainable terror that’s plagued the Sahel for the past two years,” Laith Alkhouri, the CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory, told ICC. “It should urge the de facto government to act and seek international security support to stem the violence.”
Burkina Faso’s government has sought to end the violence but has had limited success.
On June 23, the government evacuated areas in the northwest and southeast of Burkina Faso in preparation for a major military offensive against the extremists.
The decision followed a mid-June attack that left at least 100 people dead in a rural part of Northern Burkina Faso.