According to Reuters reporting on 18 August 2021, dozens of people were killed in northern Burkina Faso when Islamic militants ambushed a civilian convoy that was being escorted by military police. In an official statement, the government said that 30 civilians, 14 military police and three pro-government militiamen were killed, while 30 people were wounded. It added that 58 militants were killed in the ensuing clashes with security forces. World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Militant attacks continue to be on the increase in Burkina Faso, especially in the regions bordering Niger and Mali. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in 2021 alone. The violence in the Sahel continues to intensify despite the presence of thousands of UN, regional and Western troops and efforts by some governments to negotiate with the militants. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic also created a fertile environment for the jihadists, as most governments in the Sahel were forced to shift their focus from fighting militants to fighting the virus." Yonas Dembele continues: "With the current trend, it is clear that radical Islamic hostility is increasing, and the situation is unlikely to improve in the near future. In this regard, violence by jihadists will continue to proliferate and civilians, especially Christians, will suffer most."