On 15 March 2025, the Burkinabe air force carried out airstrikes against an armed group (likely ISSP militants, based on location) in the tri-border area, coded to nearest commune Tin-Akoff (Tin-Akoff, Oudalan). Following the airstrikes, soldiers carried sweeps and clashed with militants. A number of militants were killed. Unspecified fatalities coded as 3.

1) Summary On March 15, aerial bombardment and ground combat occurred between government forces and suspected ISSP (Islamic State in the Greater Sahara) militants in the tri-border area of Tin-Akof region, northern Burkina Faso. Government counter-terrorism operations resulted in multiple militant casualties, representing a high-risk incident that demonstrates the continued spread of terrorist activity in the Sahel region.

2) Supply-chain impact

• Gold mining disruption risk: As Africa's 4th largest gold producer, Burkina Faso's northern Oudalan province gold mining operations and mineral transport routes are exposed to risks from militant activity
• Mali-Niger border logistics disruption: Tin-Akof serves as a crucial tri-border transportation hub, with increased possibility of regional freight transport and fuel/food supply chains being severed due to deteriorating security
• Agricultural production impact: As a Sahel region livestock and grain production area, ongoing conflict negatively affects regional agricultural supply and West African food security
• Deteriorating regional infrastructure accessibility: Security threats to road networks and communication facilities expected to delay international relief supplies and commercial freight transport

3) Watch points

• Expansion of tri-border military operations: Risk of extensive logistics disruption increases if coordinated operations with Mali and Niger are deployed
• Security situation in northern gold mining regions: Need to monitor major gold mining companies for announcements of production suspensions and evacuation measures