‘Poor man’s bomb’ reaps bloody toll in African jihadist hotspot

They are cheap, made from components that are easily obtained – and murderously effective.

Security experts say that in the arsenal of jihadist groups whose insurgency is shaking the Sahel state of Burkina Faso, the improvised explosive device (IED) is one of the deadliest weapons.

“With 15,000-20,000 CFA francs (US$25), you’ve got an IED that can destroy something worth a thousand times more,” a security source said.

“It’s a poor man’s weapon in an asymmetrical war.”

Thousands of civilians and soldiers have died in violence across the Sahel which began when armed Islamists revolted in northern Mali in 2012.

The conflict has since spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso as well as Niger, two of the world’s poorest and most fragile countries.