Al-Qaeda-Linked Group Claims Responsibility for Deadly Burkina Faso Attack

An al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack in north-central Burkina Faso. Reuters says it reported nearly 300 fatalities and stated they targeted militia members, not civilians. However, local reports suggest at least 400 people were killed, including civilians digging defensive trenches under military orders. The assault, near Barsalogho, is one of the deadliest in nearly a decade of Islamist violence in the region.