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Operation Laabingol
Between January 16 and 23, 2022, French and Burkinabe forces conducted a counter-jihadist operation in and around the cities of Gorom-Gorom and Djibo, both in northern Burkina Faso. The operation was the last major one conducted between French forces and Burkinabe ones before the January 2022 Burkina Faso coup d'état, and several dozen jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin and Ansarul Islam were killed or injured. BackgroundSince 2015, north and northeastern Burkina Faso has been embroiled in an insurgency by the Mali-based Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), the Niger-based Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and the homegrown Burkinabe Ansarul Islam. JNIM and Ansarul Islam are both located in and around Gorom-Gorom and Djibo, and were responsible for deadly attacks on Burkinabe forces in Inata and Titao in November and December 2021 respectively.[1][2] Burkinabe citizens protested heavily against President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré for not containing the jihadist insurgency, and tensions were high between military officials in the Burkinabe capital of Ouagadougou in the days leading up to Operation Laabingol.[3] OperationLittle is known about the details of the operation, although French and Burkinabe officials stated that it took place between January 16 and 23, 2022.[4] On four occasions within the operation, several groups of jihadists were "located, identified, and neutralized" according to the French Ministry of Defence.[3] Several hundred Burkinabe soldiers took part in the operation.[3] On the first day, January 16, a Eurocopter Tiger helicopter ambushed a patrol of jihadists near Gorom-Gorom.[4] Between January 17 and 18, a column of jihadist vehicles was bombed by French planes guided by Burkinabe units.[4] On January 23, another group of jihadists was bombed near Djibo by drones and French Mirage 2000s, destroying about ten motorcycles.[4] French officials stated on January 30 that nearly sixty jihadists had been "put out of action" and around twenty motorcycles and armed pick-ups were destroyed. The Burkinabe army stated in a press release on January 31 that 163 jihadists had been "neutralized", including 60 during joint Franco-Burkinabe operations. The Burkinabe statement added that one Burkinabe soldier was killed and two were wounded.[5] They also claimed a jihadist leader named Mdouli, also known as Abdramane, was killed during the operation.[5] References
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