Islamist groups escalate retaliatory attacks on Burkina Faso civilians, HRW says

FILE PHOTO: New junta's soldiers stand guard in an armoured vehicle in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso October 2, 2022. REUTERS/Vincent Bado//File Photo

DAKAR (Reuters) - Jihadist groups in Burkina Faso have escalated attacks on civilians, often in retaliation against communities for refusing to join their ranks or allegedly collaborating with government troops, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

The junta-led West African nation has been grappling with Islamist insurgents, some with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State, since they spread into its territory from neighbouring Mali almost a decade ago.