Burkina Faso — In a concerning development amid ongoing regional instability, a militant linked to Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) was spotted in Burkina Faso armed with a Type 87 automatic grenade launcher mounted on a motorcycle. The sighting has sparked fresh fears over the evolving tactics and growing firepower of extremist groups operating in the Sahel.
The image, which has been verified by security analysts, shows the heavily armed militant maneuvering through a rural area with the Chinese-manufactured weapon system secured to the back of his motorbike — a method increasingly used by insurgents to maintain mobility and strike unpredictably.
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The Type 87 is a belt-fed automatic grenade launcher capable of firing 35mm rounds at a high rate, often used for heavy suppression. Its presence in the hands of non-state actors like JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, underscores the growing sophistication and militarization of terrorist groups across West Africa.
JNIM has been responsible for a series of high-casualty attacks across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and the group’s growing operational capabilities threaten to further destabilize the already volatile Sahel region.
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