Bamako, May 12: An attack by a jihadi group in northern Burkina Faso killed more than 100 people, mostly soldiers, an aid worker and local residents said Monday. The attack on several locations, including a military base and the long besieged strategic town of Djibo, occurred early Sunday, said an aid worker actively involved in dialogues in Burkina Faso's hard-hit communities. A student from the area said her father was among those killed.

Both individuals spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. A jihadi group aligned with Al-Qaida known as Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, or JNIM, which is active in the Sahel region, claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. Hippo Attack in South Africa: Hippopotamus Crushes Park Ranger to Death at Mkhuze Game Reserve.

The aid worker, as well as Charlie Werb, an independent analyst focusing on the Sahel, recounted how Sunday's attack began simultaneously in different locations at 6 a.m. local time on Sunday. “JNIM fighters attacked eight localities simultaneously to disperse the Burkina Faso air force. The main attack occurred in Djibo, where JNIM fighters first took control of all the town's entry checkpoints before attacking the military camps, particularly the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit's camp,” said the aid worker. Elephant Attack Video: US Tourist Dead After Angry Elephant Chases and Attacks Safari Truck in Africa's Kafue National Park, Terrifying Moments Caught on Camera.

Werb, who studied videos posted online, said the attackers spent several hours in the areas without air support from Burkina Faso's military, unlike similar attacks on Djibo in the past, when security forces have successfully repelled the extremists. The latest attack shows JNIM's escalating power and widening reach in Burkina Faso, said Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center security think tank. “The fact that Djibo was targeted confirms the extent of JNIM's freedom of movement within Burkina Faso.”

Analysts have warned that the junta's strategy of military escalation, including the mass recruitment of civilians into poorly trained militias, has worsened inter-ethnic tensions.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)