Between late December 2025 and mid-February 2026, the Burkina Faso defense and security forces achieved a series of decisive military victories, neutralizing several hundred terrorists and seizing vast quantities of weaponry.
This intensified campaign, reported by the Burkina Faso News Agency (AIB), marks a strategic shift in the nation’s territorial recovery efforts. The operations were characterized by seamless coordination between the Rapid Intervention Battalions (BIR), the Special Action and Combat Force (FORSATEC), and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP), all supported by significant aerial surveillance and air strikes.
The offensive began in earnest on December 28, 2025, when aerial reconnaissance detected terrorist units regrouping in the Koulse area near Barsalogho. Precision artillery strikes launched the following day decimated the group, forcing survivors to retreat northward. This set the tone for January 2026, a month defined by aggressive reconnaissance and successful ambushes. Notable engagements included the 5th BIR clearing lookouts in Dî and the 30th BIR eliminating advance units in Mènè. By mid-January, FORSATEC units had moved into Konan and Kombori, further dismantling extremist strongholds and recovering abandoned military equipment.
A critical development in this campaign was the Burkinabe forces’ ability to neutralize emerging technological threats. Security units successfully countered the use of mini-drones equipped to drop projectiles, a tactic recently adopted by insurgent groups. On January 29, a specialized terrorist team operating these devices in Ougarou was spotted and eliminated. Similar high-tech threats were neutralized in the Namissiguima and Bouroum areas, demonstrating a significant evolution in the tactical capabilities and electronic warfare readiness of the national army.
Large-scale maneuvers continued through late January, highlighted by the 7th BIR’s assault on a major base north of Djibasso. The operation utilized an initial airstrike to disorient the enemy before ground troops stormed the position, capturing a significant arsenal. Additionally, quick-reaction forces from BIR 19 successfully repelled an attack on a VDP position near Bogande on January 28. Government authorities have praised these successes as a testament to the discipline and professionalism of the armed forces, noting that the dismantling of these bases is a vital step toward the total re-conquest of national territory and the restoration of state authority.
Ho/Sf/fss/abj/APA