An al Qaeda-linked militant group has claimed responsibility for an attack on an army barracks in northern Togo that killed at least six soldiers, marking a significant escalation of violence in the West African nation.
The attack took place on Saturday in the town of Dapaong, near Togo’s border with Burkina Faso. Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed the assault in a statement released on Monday, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity. The statement said militants seized weapons after taking control of the barracks.
Togo has largely been spared the widespread violence that has plagued its neighbors, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in recent years. However, this attack signals a potential expansion of the conflict into the region’s coastal states.
The Togolese military has yet to provide a detailed statement on the incident.
JNIM’s claim also includes responsibility for attacks on military targets in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, resulting in the deaths of over 22 soldiers in a four-day period. The region has been grappling with a growing insurgency since 2012, when militant groups hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in Mali.
The escalating violence has led to thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and contributed to multiple coups in the region. As the crisis deepens, the three countries formed a joint force in March to address the growing security threat.
