Seven Ghanaian tomato traders have been killed in a militant attack on the northern Burkina Faso town of Titao, underscoring the growing reach of Islamist insurgents across the Sahel and the risks faced by West African cross-border traders.

According to Ghana’s interior authorities, the victims were part of a group of 18 traders who had travelled from northern Ghana into Burkina Faso to buy tomatoes, following a long-established trade route that links farming communities in both countries. As they arrived in Titao, armed militants descended on the town, launching an assault that witnesses described as methodical and brutal.

Officials said the attackers separated men from women before opening fire on the men at close range. The gunmen then set the traders’ truck ablaze, burning several of the bodies beyond recognition. Local security forces and residents later recovered the remains, which were buried in Burkina Faso with surviving female traders present to identify what they could and to offer final prayers.

Three men and one woman from the group survived with injuries, while seven other women managed to escape unharmed amid the chaos. Burkinabe forces reportedly spent hours battling to regain control of Titao after the assault, highlighting the intensity of the confrontation and the fragility of state authority in the area.

Ghanaian officials said they were unable to reach the town because of security concerns and relied on Burkinabe counterparts for information and assistance. Authorities in Burkina Faso have pledged to provide a military escort to move the injured survivors to Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Ouagadougou for medical care and repatriation.

The killings have sent shockwaves through trading communities in northern Ghana, where cross-border commerce is a lifeline for thousands of families. Tomato traders, drivers and market porters routinely travel into Burkina Faso and other neighbouring states, often without formal protection, despite the spread of armed groups.

Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have steadily expanded their presence in Burkina Faso, exploiting weak state control and local grievances. Their attacks on civilians, security forces and economic targets have killed thousands and displaced millions across the Sahel, disrupting trade corridors and deepening humanitarian crises in one of the world’s most fragile regions.