Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are launching a joint security force to combat rising extremist violence. The three nations had already formed a security alliance after severing military ties with their former colonizer France since military juntas took over following a series of recent coups in the Sahel region.

This comes days after a public prosecutor in Burkina Faso said at least 170 people were executed in three separate attacks in the northern Yatenga province. Violence carried out by militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State has been on the rise, forcing millions in Burkina Faso to flee their homes.