Burkina Faso army attack: Al-Qaeda linked group claims responsibility

An armed group linked to Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the killing of more than 100 soldiers in Burkina Faso earlier this week. The attack took place in Mansila, near the border with Niger. Gunmen stormed an army base there. The group says its fighters have seized control of it along with vehicles, weapons, and ammunition. It's one of the deadliest attacks the army has suffered. The military governments in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali have all struggled to contain violence in the Sahel region. Ulf Laessing is Head of the Sahel Program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He says the conflict is fueled by inevitable civilian losses.