A survivor of the recent terror attack near Titao in northern Burkina Faso has recounted the terrifying moments gunmen ambushed a group of Ghanaian traders, killing seven of them and leaving several others injured.

The group, mostly women traders, had travelled across the border earlier in the week to purchase tomatoes for resale.

According to the survivor, they departed between 3:00 and 4:00 AM on Thursday and arrived at their destination the following day without incident.

However, events took a deadly turn early Saturday morning.

“Between 5 and 7 AM, we heard gunshots and explosions,” she said. “The driver got scared and tried to move us away.”

Despite initial reassurances from a local leader that the fighting involved rival armed groups who were French, the attackers stormed the area and opened fire.

The survivor noted that it was common to mert these armed groups on their trading trips but they were usually spared and so they had no anticipation of an attack.

Several men were shot at close range, she said, as panic spread among the traders. Survivors were ordered out of their vehicle and lined up.

“They made us form a queue and began praying and chanting Allahu Akbar before pointing their guns at us,” she recalled.

She said she narrowly escaped execution after one member of the armed group repeatedly intervened - about three times - to stop another from shooting her and the women with her. The group was later moved away from the immediate scene as the violence continued.

From a distance, they watched helplessly as some of their colleagues lay injured near their truck, pleading for help. She recalled how some women local to the place slit the throat of the injured.

The attackers later identified as Al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) continued their assault before fleeing when security forces approached.

When the soldiers arrived, they evacuated three critically injured victims, who were transported for emergency medical care, first by road and then by air. 

The survivor said one of their leaders later died at the hospital - bringing the death toll to eight - leaving two others who were later transferred to 37 Military Hospital in Accra for treatment.

With some of their colleagues dead and the remaining survivors stranded and disoriented, assistance eventually came from a man believed to be Ghanaian from Wa whom they identified only as “Ambassador”. He helped them return home safely.

During the interaction with the media, she expressed gratitude to the authorities and medical personnel for rescuing the injured and providing treatment, while offering prayers for them and the hospitalised.

The attack has renewed concerns over the safety of cross-border traders operating in volatile areas, as authorities continue investigations into the incident and efforts to protect civilians travelling for business.