| Silgadji bus bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part ofJihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso | |
| Location | nearSilgadji,Burkina Faso |
| Date | September 5, 2022 |
| Deaths | 35 |
| Injured | 37 |
| Perpetrator | Unknown jihadist group |
On September 5, 2022, a bus travelling fromDjibo to the Burkinabe capital ofOuagadougou hit a mine outside the town ofSilgadji, killing 35 people and injured dozens more.
Since 2015, northern Burkina Faso has been the hotbed of ajihadist insurgency, with much of the countryside being controlled by Islamist militants likeIslamic State in the Greater Sahara.[1] Throughout the years of fighting, key roads linking major cities have been mined by both the Burkinabe military and the jihadist groups, posing a major threat to civilians.[2] The road betweenDjibo andOuagadougou has especially been a target of mining since early 2022, when jihadists fromJama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin began a campaign tobesiege the city.[3] In August, abombing and ambush on the road led to the death of 15 Burkinabe soldiers.
On September 5, the Burkinabe government launched a supply convoy to relieve civilians and soldiers at the ongoingsiege of Djibo. One of the vehicles in the convoy, according toSahel Region governor Rodolphe Sorgho, was carrying civilians at the time of the bombing.[4] The convoy was bombed in between Djibo and the town ofBourzanga, in particular near the town of Silgadji.[5] An anonymous resident of Silgadji speaking toAFP claimed many of the civilians were merchants looking to buy supplies and students returning to Ouagadougou for school.[5]
After the attack, the Burkinabe government claimed to have secured the area around the road.[6]