28 Beninese soldiers killed in attack near Niger, Burkina Faso border as jihadist violence escalates

Twenty-eight soldiers were killed in an attack in northern Benin, according to a security source on Thursday, as violence blamed on jihadists based in neighbouring countries increases.

The high-ranking official said the strike took place on Wednesday evening near the border with insurgency-hit Burkina Faso and Niger.

Attacks in northern Benin have increased in recent years with authorities accusing members of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda groups based in neighbouring countries.

“We are continuing cleaning-up operations. Forty assailants have been neutralised so far,” the military source said.

The violence has largely struck the border area with Burkina Faso.

Gunmen in December killed three soldiers and wounded four others who were guarding an oil pipeline in northeast Benin.

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In June, seven Beninese troops were killed in an attack at the Pendjari National Park on the border with Burkina Faso.

Beninese authorities, who rarely comment on attacks, reported in April 2023 about 20 cross-border incursions since 2021.

A diplomatic source told AFP that 121 Beninese military personnel had been killed between 2021 and December 2024.

‘Intensifying’

“Currently, it is clear that the threat is intensifying, the more the situation in Niger and Burkina Faso deteriorates, the harder it gets for Benin,” the diplomatic source said earlier this week.

The source added that the Beninese army was still “under construction” and faced the challenge of training its forces while remaining operational.

“There are results, (the Beninese army) can kill terrorists but do not want to communicate about it so it is not always visible -– especially so as not to inform the jihadists of their strategy and because it is anxiety-inducing”, the source also said.

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Benin in January 2022 deployed nearly 3,000 troops to secure its borders as part of Operation Mirador.

The country’s authorities also recruited 5,000 additional personnel to reinforce security in the north.

The United States in November sent $6.6 million worth of armoured vehicles and defence equipment to Benin, while the European Union earlier this year announced 47 million euros ($49 million) in anti-terror funding for the country.

Washington’s assistance is “a valuable support for the armed forces in their defence missions”, Beninese Defence Minister Fortunet Alain Nouatin said at the time.

Neighbouring Ghana and Togo have also suffered jihadist attacks in recent years.