Burkina Faso Army units have captured a key town from al-Qaeda-linked militants.
On Thursday, reports emerged that earlier in the week, Burkinabe forces had taken control of the town of Gassan, located in the Sourou Valley in the western part of the country.
Fighters from the al-Qaeda-affiliated group Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly abandoned the area under pressure from the 23rd Rapid Reaction Unit of the Burkinabe Army.
According to Burkinabe military sources, 87 militants were killed during the fighting.
The area had been previously targeted earlier this year as part of “Operation Whirlwind 2,” which aimed at reclaiming JNIM-controlled territory in the Sourou Valley. That campaign involved a large deployment of Burkinabe forces, including drones, helicopters, armored vehicles, and troops from the 23rd and 18th Rapid Reaction units, alongside militiamen from the pro-government Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP).
The operation concluded in early April with limited success, but this week’s capture of Gassan — a key logistics hub in the region — may signal renewed momentum for Burkinabe forces and potentially mark the beginning of a new offensive.
Pro-government sources report that following the success in Gassan, the military is planning to push deeper into the Boucle du Mouhoun region, where the town is located.
Burkina Faso has been in a state of civil conflict since 2015, part of a broader Sahelian crisis that began in 2011. JNIM and other militant groups currently control approximately 40% of the country's territory.
Following military coups in 2020 and 2021, Burkina Faso ended its security cooperation with France and shifted its strategic alignment toward Russia and China. In 2023, the French military completed its withdrawal, and Russian Wagner Group forces arrived in January 2024 to fill the vacuum.
Burkina Faso, along with fellow military-led states Mali and Niger, has since formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a confederation that includes plans for a joint military force to combat insurgent groups across their respective territories.