At least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in central Burkina Faso during a weekend attack on a village by al-Qaida-linked jihadis, according to videos of the violence analyzed by a regional specialist, who described the assault as one of the deadliest this year in the conflict-battered West African nation.
Villagers in the Barsalogho commune, which is 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital city, were forcibly helping security forces dig up trenches to protect security outposts and villages on Saturday when fighters with the al-Qaida-linked JNIM group invaded the area and opened fire on them, said Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Centre security think tank.
Al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday, saying in a statement that it gained “total control over a militia position” in Barsalogho, in Kaya, a strategic town where security forces have used to fight off jihadis that have tried to close in on the capital, Ouagadougou.
At least 100 bodies were counted in videos of the attack, Nasr said. The Associated Press could not independently verify the count but reviewed videos that appeared to be from the scene, showing bodies piled beside the trenches and shovels amid gunshots.
Burkina Faso’s security minister Mahamadou Sana said in a state television broadcast on Sunday that the government responded to the attack with support from the ground and air. Among those killed were soldiers and civilians, the minister said, without stating the exact number of casualties.
“We are not going to accept such barbarity on the territory,” Sana said. He said the government has directed medical and humanitarian assistance to all those affected and that authorities are committed to protecting lives.
About half of Burkina Faso is outside of government control as the country has been ravaged by increasing jihadi attacks, encircling the capital. The jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have killed thousands and displaced more than two million people.
The violence contributed to two coups in 2022. Still, the military junta that promised to end the attacks has struggled to do so, even after seeking new security partnerships with Russia and other junta-led, conflict-hit countries in Africa’s Sahel region.
At least 4,500 people, an average of 19 daily, have been killed this year in attacks by armed groups in the country, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit.
Burkina Faso’s junta leader Capt. Ibrahim Traore — who activists say was drafting critics to join the army as punishment — has also been requesting civilians to assist the military in security efforts. A civilian task force, Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP), is already working closely with the military.
The trenches being dug in the Barsalogho commune are among the several that authorities urged civilians to help create in areas the jihadis are seeking control of.
The jihadis are becoming more successful because of a lack of efficient air cover and intelligence by security forces. They are also active because of ineffective control of areas bordering Mali and Niger, two countries also struggling with violent attacks, according to Nasr. Human rights abuses committed by the country’s security forces and VDP have also led more people to join the jihadis, he said.
Members of the Liberal government cabinet say they have 'tremendous confidence' in Prime Minister Trudeau despite polling numbers and questions surrounding his leadership.
A 47-year-old woman is dead after a suspected femicide inside a home in Ottawa's west end on Sunday evening.
As the weather cools down across Canada, so too is the cottage market, with real estate experts saying now is the time to purchase that cottage you've had your eyes on.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the federal government is 'looking at a number of options' to re-evaluate permanent resident levels in Canada and says any upcoming changes will not be 'cosmetic' but 'significant.'
A B.C. man acted with a "chilling sense of calm" when he took "deliberate steps to conceal and dispose of" the body of a young man he met online nearly eight years ago, according to a provincial court judge.
A Gatineau, Que. resident has fallen victim to a phone scam that resulted in the loss of $12,000, but TD Bank has declined to reimburse the funds.
Mariah Carey's mother Patricia and sister Alison both died on the same day, the singer said Monday.
The proportion of Canadians working from home has been falling for the past three years, according to a new report. Statistics Canada says 18.7 per cent of employees worked from home in 2024, down from 24.3 per cent in 2021.
Martin Shkreli, once dubbed 'Pharma Bro' for boosting the price of a life-saving drug, was ordered by a federal judge Monday to turn over all copies of Wu-Tang Clan's unreleased 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' album to his lawyers by Friday.
A Gatineau, Que. resident has fallen victim to a phone scam that resulted in the loss of $12,000, but TD Bank has declined to reimburse the funds.
A 47-year-old woman is dead after a suspected femicide inside a home in Ottawa's west end on Sunday evening.
A B.C. man acted with a "chilling sense of calm" when he took "deliberate steps to conceal and dispose of" the body of a young man he met online nearly eight years ago, according to a provincial court judge.
Southern Alberta RCMP are searching for a missing mother and daughter.
Montreal firefighters were called to Saint-Henri Monday afternoon after a low-rise apartment that was under construction partially collapsed.
A popular airport parking service is warning approximately one million Canadian customers that their personal information may have been compromised in a widespread data breach last month.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday is tying Vice-President Kamala Harris to the chaotic Afghanistan War withdrawal on the third anniversary of the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members.
A landslide cut a path down a steep, thickly forested hillside and crashed into several homes in Ketchikan, killing one person and injuring three in the latest such disaster to strike mountainous southeast Alaska.
Negotiations in Cairo to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage deal are still pressing ahead, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, adding that the discussions will continue on the working-group level for the next few days to iron out specific issues.
At least 100 villagers and soldiers were killed in central Burkina Faso during a weekend attack on a village by al-Qaida-linked jihadis.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn't a political move but part of an independent investigation.
Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey, a journalist for Reuters, is in critical condition following a missile strike on Saturday on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency said on Monday.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says the federal government is 'looking at a number of options' to re-evaluate permanent resident levels in Canada and says any upcoming changes will not be 'cosmetic' but 'significant.'
Members of the Liberal government cabinet say they have 'tremendous confidence' in Prime Minister Trudeau despite polling numbers and questions surrounding his leadership.
The federal government has temporarily paused parts of the newly reinstated commercial northern cod fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland as landings approach the seasonal limit.
The UN health agency on Monday launched a six-month plan to help stanch outbreaks of mpox transmission, including ramping up staffing in affected countries and boosting surveillance, prevention and response strategies.
Human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to a preprint posted online in May.
A healthy diet has long been hailed by some experts as one potentially important factor influencing the risk of COVID-19, or how bad someone’s case gets.
The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France over the weekend has thrust the popular messaging service and its enigmatic founder into the spotlight.
Matching sets of footprints discovered in Africa and South America reveal that dinosaurs once traveled along a type of highway 120 million years ago before the two continents split apart, according to new research.
How can you protect your personal information and privacy? CTVNews.ca spoke to a cybersecurity expert on how to better safeguard against the evolving landscape of cyber threats.
Martin Shkreli, once dubbed 'Pharma Bro' for boosting the price of a life-saving drug, was ordered by a federal judge Monday to turn over all copies of Wu-Tang Clan's unreleased 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin' album to his lawyers by Friday.
Mariah Carey's mother Patricia and sister Alison both died on the same day, the singer said Monday.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs asked a federal judge Monday to throw out a lawsuit from a music producer who accused the music mogul of a broad pattern of sexual abuse and other misconduct.
A 34-year-old London Drugs employee has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing approximately $2 million in merchandise from the company over the course of five years.
As the weather cools down across Canada, so too is the cottage market, with real estate experts saying now is the time to purchase that cottage you've had your eyes on.
The proportion of Canadians working from home has been falling for the past three years, according to a new report. Statistics Canada says 18.7 per cent of employees worked from home in 2024, down from 24.3 per cent in 2021.
Forty restaurants in 60 days seems like a tall task, but it was a challenge Moncton foodie Jason Gallant took head on to find the best lobster rolls and fried clams in southern New Brunswick.
A state prison in northeast Ohio says that for the first time in the state's history, a five-course meal has been served to members of the public with food prepared by incarcerated men from fruits and vegetables grown in the prison garden.
A double dose of Manitoba talent will storm the runways of Paris Fashion Week, wearing distinctly homegrown designs.
Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen became the first player in major league history to appear in the same game for both teams when he took the field for Boston on Monday in the resumption of a rain-delayed game he started for Toronto in June.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' all-time leading rushing is headed to the Ring of Honour.
Both Coco Gauff and Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen won their first-round matches on Monday at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will impose a 100-per-cent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles, along with 25 per cent tariffs on aluminum and steel from China, in an effort to protect domestic manufacturing.
There could be some limitations to solely relying on credit card and personal auto insurance policies to cover rental car insurance.
At a packed investor day in Dearborn, Michigan, last year, Ford Motor F.N executives lauded their forthcoming three-row electric SUV, which they said would be rolling off assembly lines in 2025.
A double dose of Manitoba talent will storm the runways of Paris Fashion Week, wearing distinctly homegrown designs.
It's been a relationship forged in bronze.
The Hub City Radio Control Club invited the general public out to watch their RC plane demonstrations, Dozens of pilots and onlookers gathered on the tarmac to watch the planes in action.
While the festivities will look a little different this year, thousands are expected to show off their bright rainbow colours in downtown Ottawa on Sunday to celebrate the Capital's LGBTQ+ community.
If you're looking for fresh shellfish in Edmonton, you need not look further than the North Saskatchewan River.
One of western Canada’s largest rental property companies is warning tenants about a cyber security breach it says was discovered earlier this year.
The Town of Bracebridge held a soft opening for its brand new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre Friday morning, highlighted by some NHL players participating in an open practice.
Ontario Provincial Police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are warning people about fraudsters impersonating major Canadian banks.
On any given day, you’ll find four-year-old Amelia walking with a lizard attached to a leash.
A B.C. man acted with a "chilling sense of calm" when he took "deliberate steps to conceal and dispose of" the body of a young man he met online nearly eight years ago, according to a provincial court judge.
A 34-year-old London Drugs employee has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing approximately $2 million in merchandise from the company over the course of five years.
The campfire ban for B.C.'s South Coast will be lifted before the Labour Day long weekend, according to officials.
A suspect wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the death of a 30-year-old man from Toronto has been located in the United Kingdom.
Police say that several witnesses may have filmed an attempted kidnapping outside Vaughan Mills last week.
A long-time Toronto police officer who was found guilty of stealing credit cards and a luxury watch from deceased individuals is now facing additional charges for violating the terms of his release.
Southern Alberta RCMP are searching for a missing mother and daughter.
A Calgary man is facing 24 charges related to sexual exploitation and child pornography.
Calgary police say speed is believed to be a factor in a deadly motorcycle crash in the city's deep south over the weekend.
A 47-year-old woman is dead after a suspected femicide inside a home in Ottawa's west end on Sunday evening.
A Gatineau, Que. resident has fallen victim to a phone scam that resulted in the loss of $12,000, but TD Bank has declined to reimburse the funds.
Ontario Provincial Police say one person is dead following a head-on crash between Carleton Place and Perth, Ont.
Montreal firefighters were called to Saint-Henri Monday afternoon after a low-rise apartment that was under construction partially collapsed.
Quebec college students are back in class and the 2024-2025 group will be the first to have to comply with all the requirements in the updated French-language law, and administrations are having to adapt to the new reality.
The Convenience Industry Council of Canada (CICC) publicly called on the Quebec government to require all sales of vaping products to have a grocery-grade liquor licence.
A total of $917,400 in drugs and cell phones were seized at the Edmonton Institution earlier this month, officials say.
So long, chums: the chemical culling of goldfish is back on in a west Edmonton neighbourhood.
The personal information of about one million Park'N Fly customers was accessed during a data breach last month.
The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (DNRR) is investigating a report of a possible bear attack in Eastern Passage, N.S.
A man has received a four-year sentence for manslaughter in Truro, N.S.
Starting in September, the Canadian government will begin cutting the number of low-wage, temporary foreign workers it will allow into the country.
New data shows the powerful might of a storm that wreaked havoc on parts of Manitoba over the weekend.
A Winnipeg senior is warning others to be vigilant after someone tried to scam her out of nearly $20,000.
As we get closer to the end of summer and the temperatures cool down, some unwelcome pests might be seen buzzing around.
A girl under the age of 12 has died after the RCMP says she and three other pedestrians were hit by a drunk driver in Key First Nation on Saturday.
The Regina Police Service (RPS) is asking the public for tips after an elderly woman on a mobility scooter was injured in a hit-and-run on Friday.
A tree that tested positive for Dutch Elm Disease (DED) in Regina’s Wascana Centre has been removed.
Alissa Gooden said she got a confirmation email from Waterloo Region's extended child care program but, two weeks later, was told that it was a mistake.
CTV Kitchener’s former home at 864 King Street West could be replaced with a 455-unit apartment building.
A man considered to be at high-risk to reoffend was arrested again after he failed to report in to Guelph Police.
A woman accused of killing her husband made her first court appearance on Monday.
Saskatchewan’s largest First Nation says it has approved a settlement agreement with the federal government valued at $601.5-million.
A groundbreaking ceremony on Monday marked the beginning of the new Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus.
Provincial police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre are raising awareness about new variations of banking scams.
Inukshuk, the 21-year-old polar bear at the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, has died, officials announced Monday.
Sudbury's integrity commissioner says Ward 7 Coun. Natalie Labbee should be suspended 20 days and apologize to Greater Sudbury CAO Ed Archer.
A 42-year-old London man is facing a slew of charges following a vehicle striking a residence in the city’s east end over the weekend that caused $100,000 in damages.
Around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, emergency crews were called to the area of Southdale Road West and Byronhills Drive for the crash between a vehicle and a motorcycle.
Speaking in London on Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced the funds that are expected to enable the construction of 17,576 new homes in the city.
An Orillia man accused of second-degree murder on a rural property last November appeared in a virtual Barrie courtroom Monday.
OPP have arrested a suspect related to a fail-to-remain collision in Midland this weekend.
Inside a tiny room at Georgian College, staff at the school food locker program are hoping to keep up with a surge in demand.
Windsor police are asking for help finding a man accused of indecent act in east Riverside after he allegedly returned to a backyard for a second time.
One economist believes the Chinese government will retaliate now that Canada has announced plans to impose an import tariff on EVs.
A new city report outlines a comprehensive approach to managing Windsor's population of Canada Geese, steering clear of controversial culling methods in favour of a multi-faceted strategy that includes habitat management, hazing efforts, and removing eggs from nests.
A 34-year-old London Drugs employee has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing approximately $2 million in merchandise from the company over the course of five years.
A B.C. man acted with a "chilling sense of calm" when he took "deliberate steps to conceal and dispose of" the body of a young man he met online nearly eight years ago, according to a provincial court judge.
The campfire ban for B.C.'s South Coast will be lifted before the Labour Day long weekend, according to officials.
The driver of a semi truck and trailer that plunged off of a bridge in the B.C. Interior Saturday morning has not been located, according to police.
The emergency department at Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre in Merritt is once again closed due to limited physician availability.
A 33-year-old man is facing multiple charges for allegedly setting several fires in Vernon on Monday.
Lethbridge police have charged a teen from Taber, Alta., with mischief after he allegedly damaged the city's Pride crosswalk.
The Alberta Energy Regulator seems to be going ahead with hearings on coal exploration in the Rocky Mountains despite a court ruling that opened the question of whether those applications should have been accepted.
Southern Alberta RCMP are searching for a missing mother and daughter.
A veritable venture to Victorian England served as a support for hospice care in the Sault.
Canadian alt-punk rock icon Bif Naked has released her first studio album in 15 years and preformed in West Nipissing over the weekend.
A 44-year-old woman has been charged after the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service executed a search warrant on a home and vehicle in Kasabonika Lake First Nation.
The federal government has temporarily paused parts of the newly reinstated commercial northern cod fishery off the east coast of Newfoundland as landings approach the seasonal limit.
The final edition of The Telegram newspaper’s daily print hit the stands in St. John's, N.L., on Saturday, marking the end of a 145-year run and a move to weekly print version with daily stories online.
A Newfoundland and Labrador judge has dismissed an assault charge against an RCMP officer accused of using excessive force against a man whose volatile behaviour grounded an international flight last year.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
