Major terrorist attack in Burkina Faso hits multiple targets, including the French Embassy.

Men escape from the army headquarters in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. Reuters. 

A major terror attack has occurred in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso targeting multiple government buildings and the French Embassy. Reuters. No claim of responsibility has been made but previous attacks in the country have been by al-Qaeda. Three attackers were killed while attacking an army headquarters while four more were killed while targeting the French Embassy. There is no current information on civilian or military casualties as of this writing. The attackers used both explosives and firearms to attack and were countered by local security forces and the situation seems to be over. 

My Comment:

This is a breaking news story so there isn't much to go on. It certainly seems like a very serious attack though. No word on any civilian or military casualties but I would be very surprised if there were none. There were some rather large explosions and reports of gunfights as well so I would be shocked if there wasn't deaths and/or injuries. 

This attack mirrors the type honed by al-Qaeda and ISIS over the years. First you set off explosives, either by a suicide bomber or more conventional means, and then you follow it up with a gun attack. That seems to be what happened here so there is no doubt in my mind that this was a terrorist incident. With at least seven attackers killed and possibly more out there, this was a huge and complex attack. It just goes to show that terrorism is still a major threat. 

I also have little doubt who was responsible for this attack. The usual suspect, ISIS, does not have much of a presence in West Africa, so they are ruled out. Al-Qaeda, however, has a major affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). AQIM is one of the few al-Qaeda affiliates to still be up and running and they have had a history of attacking Burkina Faso. Though no claim has been made, I would be willing to bet that they were the ones that did this and shocked if they were not. 

As for France, it is little surprise that their embassy seems to have been targeted. France has had an unheralded but extremely successful role in fighting militants in West Africa. The job that they have done in West Africa is admirable and hugely under-reported. They have long been enemies of AQIM and have done a massive amount of damage to that and other militant groups in Africa. Given those facts and the more general hatred of Europeans it is no surprise at all that they were attacked. 

It has been awhile since we have had a major terrorist attack anywhere and that has been a relief. It is sad to say that the "dry spell" is over and it has happened again. It is unclear how bad this attack has been but given the circumstances it looks grim. Thankfully, the local and French security forces seem to have done a decent job in repelling this attack. We will have to closely watch the region to see if there will be any follow up, either from the terrorists or from the local security forces. My guess is that there will be action taken against AQIM sooner rather than later...