This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
On October 12, 2019, a devastating attack on the Grand Mosque in Salmossi, Burkina Faso, left 16 people dead and two critically injured, security sources revealed.
Armed men stormed the mosque on Friday evening, killing 13 people instantly and three more succumbing to their injuries later. The two wounded individuals are in critical condition, according to a source.
A resident from the nearby town of Gorom-Gorom confirmed the attack, stating that Salmossi residents had fled their homes in the aftermath.
Until 2015, Burkina Faso had largely avoided the violence that plagued its neighbors, Mali and Niger. However, jihadists began infiltrating the north, east, and eventually endangered the country's southern and western borders.
The insurgents employed guerrilla tactics, including road mines and suicide bombings, resulting in nearly 600 deaths, according to an AFP tally. Civil society groups estimated the toll to be over 1,000.
As a result, around 300,000 people have been displaced, and almost 3,000 schools have closed, severely impacting the rural economy and disrupting trade and markets.
