A weekend attack by the jihadist group Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) in Burkina Faso has resulted in the deaths of four government militiamen, with their weapons looted.

JoyNews correspondent Eliasu Tanko reported from the Upper East region, indicating that the incident occurred on Saturday, August 23, in Bittou, a town located near the Ghanaian border in the Bawku Municipality, raising concerns about the ongoing security crisis in the region.

The victims were members of the Volunteers for the Protection of the Fatherland (VDP), a civilian auxiliary force created by the Burkinabe government to assist its regular army in the fight against a persistent and deadly insurgency.

Military sources in Burkina Faso familiar with the matter said, "a small team of VDP went into the bush and encountered bad guys [Jihadists]. Very wrong".

This attack marks another deadly escalation in the area. This recent assault follows a troubling pattern of similar incidents.

According to reports, JNIM, a prominent al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the Sahel, has also claimed responsibility for a June attack in Mongade, near Kulungugu, and another in March in Garanga, near Nware in Ghana's Pusiga District.

These repeated incursions highlight the volatile security situation along the shared border between Burkina Faso and Ghana.

In response to the attack, Burkinabe security and defence forces have launched a sweep operation along the border with Ghana and Togo.

The confirmed presence of the jihadist group in the border area underscores the cross-border nature of the threat and the potential for a spillover of the conflict.

The ongoing operation aims to neutralise the threats and restore stability to the affected communities.