Four people are missing in Burkina Faso following an armed ambush on an anti-poaching patrol Monday. Local officials also said three other people were injured in the attack. Spanish authorities confirmed that two Spanish journalists lost their lives. Following reports that an Irish national was also among the causalities, Irish Foreign Ministry said it “was aware of the reports and is liasing closely with international partners regarding the situation on the ground.”

What do we know of the attack?
The suspected victims included two Spanish citizens and an Irish national, along with a member of the Burkinabe armed forces. The three Europeans were reportedly working for a nongovernmental organization dedicated to protecting the environment.

The attack occurred during the daytime in the Fada N’Gourma-Pama area in eastern Burkina Faso. In addition to the NGO workers, the patrol group also consisted of soldiers, forest rangers and foreign journalists.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. Authorities are conducting a search.

What’s the security situation in Burkina Faso?

Burkina Faso, one of the world’s poorest countries, faces a precarious security situation due to the presence of jihadist groups such as al-Qaida and the “Islamic State” (IS) in the Sahel region. The country also borders Mali, which has faced an armed insurgency since 2012.

Armed groups frequently cross the porous border between Mali and Burkina Faso to conduct raids, with Burkina Faso also serving as a hub for weapons trafficking. According to the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance, the local security forces are poorly equipped and lack the operational capacity to effectively keep the country safe from external threats.