Terrorists Seize Town of Diapaga in Burkina Faso

On the night of May 20, 2025, the town of Diapaga in Burkina Faso’s eastern Tapoa province was overrun by hundreds of fighters from Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group. This assault marked the group’s second major success in May, following their capture of Djibo in the northern Seno province on May 13, highlighting the increasing jihadist threat in the Sahel region.

Local residents reported that the militants initiated the attack by advancing on government positions surrounding Diapaga. Their numerical superiority and element of surprise quickly overwhelmed the defenders. After securing military facilities, the jihadists entered the city, targeting shops, hospitals, and administrative buildings. During the chaos, they freed dozens of prisoners from the local jail and destroyed telecommunications equipment to hinder the authorities’ ability to call for reinforcements and coordinate responses. The attackers also seized a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment, including armored vehicles, thereby enhancing their combat capabilities.

While the exact number of casualties remains unclear, sources indicate that there were dozens of deaths among both military personnel and civilians. In response to the situation, the governor of the Tapoa region declared a state of emergency and urged residents to evacuate the city. According to reports , the JNIM group, which boasts a strength of up to 2,000 fighters, is notorious for its rapid attack strategies and its ability to exploit vulnerabilities in local security forces.

This assault on Diapaga is part of a broader trend of escalating jihadist violence in Burkina Faso, where multiple terrorist groups have been active since 2015.