Ghana has confirmed the deaths of seven Ghanaian tomato traders caught in a deadly terrorist attack in northern Burkina Faso on Saturday, February 14.

At least 20 people were killed during the assault in the town of Titao, an attack claimed by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), an Islamist militant group linked to al-Qaeda. Ghanaian authorities say seven of the victims were traders travelling in a truck to purchase produce.

Speaking to the BBC, Ghana’s Interior Minister Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak confirmed that the bodies of the Ghanaian victims were “burnt beyond recognition” and had yet to be formally identified.

In a separate interview with Joy FM, the minister said the truck was carrying 10 men and eight women when armed fighters attacked, shooting male residents and travellers on sight.

Seven of the men were killed, three sustained injuries, and one woman suffered serious injuries. The remaining seven women escaped without serious physical harm.

“The jihadists ran into the town and started rounding up almost everybody, especially the males, targeting to kill every male just on sight,” Mr Mubarak said.

“They separated the males from the females and went on the street and sprayed, killing almost all the males.”

The minister disclosed that he had been in direct contact with his Burkinabè counterpart following the attack. He explained that the condition of the bodies had deteriorated significantly, prompting Burkina Faso authorities to secure agreement on February 15 to proceed with burials the next morning.

Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Ouagadougou was unable to travel to Titao to witness the burial because the area remained unsafe.

In the meantime, some of the surviving Ghanaians are expected to assist with documentation.

“The women who sustained minor to no injuries have been asked to witness the burial of the dead to capture and document the process,” Mr Mubarak added.

The incident comes amid a wave of Islamist attacks in northern and eastern Burkina Faso in recent days. While the country is yet to confirm the official death toll for the latest violence, an army spokesman, Lt Col Abdoul Aziz Ouedraogo, said the military had responded forcefully.

“Multiple attacks took place on Saturday in the north of the country. Our forces demonstrated valour and professionalism, inflicting a heavy defeat on the terrorists and neutralising several dozen of them,” he said on state-run Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina.

He noted that the attacks followed recent military operations in the north and Sahel regions that had forced militants to regroup westwards.

Meanwhile, President of the Tomato and Onion Truck Drivers' Association, Eric Tuffour, said the attackers set the vehicle on fire after the driver allegedly attempted to take cover.

He described the incident as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by traders who travel across borders to transport vegetables for sale, adding that the association has long called for enhanced safety measures for members operating in countries such as Burkina Faso.