An affiliate of Al-Qaeda, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for killing 70 soldiers in raids on two military posts in northern Benin. This marks the largest reported death toll from a jihadist attack in the country in over a decade, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.
The attacks took place in the northeastern Kandi province, located in the Alibori department, more than 500 km from Benin’s capital, Cotonou. SITE quoted a statement from JNIM released on Thursday, confirming the attack, but Reuters was unable to independently verify the details.
The assault is part of a wider trend of increasing jihadist violence in the region. In recent years, both Benin and its neighbor, Togo, have seen a rise in attacks linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates, expanding beyond the Sahel region into coastal West Africa.
Military officials in Benin did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The Sahel insurgency, which began in Mali in 2012 following a Tuareg rebellion, has since spread into Burkina Faso, Niger, and now northern coastal countries like Benin. The violence has led to thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions.
This conflict, which has contributed to multiple military coups in the region, has also seen several governments, including those of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, sever ties with traditional Western allies and seek assistance from Russia in combating jihadist groups.
