Yirgou massacre

Yirgou massacre
Part of Jihadist insurgency in Burkina Faso
Burned house in Yirgou
LocationYirgou, Barsalogho Department, Burkina Faso
other villages in Barsalogho department
DateDecember 31, 2018 - January 2, 2019 (initial attack)
January 2 - June 22 (reprisal attacks)
Deaths46 (per Burkinabe government)
210 (per CISC and locals)
216 (per US State Department)
PerpetratorKoglweogo

On the night between December 31, 2018, and January 1, 2019, alleged Ansarul Islam jihadists attacked the village of Yirgou, in Barsalogho Department, Burkina Faso. While initial reports claimed the attack killed six people, including the village chief and his son, later reports and investigations showed up to 210 people were killed.

After the attack, fighters from the civilian-based ethnic Mossi militia Koglweogo launched reprisal attacks in ethnic Fulani areas in Barsalogho department, killing dozens of civilians and further intensifying the Fula-Mossi conflict.