Al Qaeda affiliate JNIM has claimed responsibility for the deaths of 70 soldiers during assaults on two military installations in northern Benin, marking the highest casualty figure reported by jihadist groups in the country in over ten years, according to the SITE Intelligence Group on Saturday.
In recent years, Benin and its coastal neighbor Togo have experienced a wave of attacks as factions associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda have extended their operations beyond the Sahel region to the north.
Reuters has not been able to independently verify this report.
Benin’s military spokesperson, Ebenezer Honfoga, did not respond to inquiries via calls and messages.
SITE reported that JNIM issued a statement on Thursday claiming that 70 soldiers were killed in the assaults on two military posts located in the Kandi province of Alibori, over 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the capital, Cotonou.
The U.S.-based SITE monitors online communications from militant organizations.
The Sahel insurgency began following a Tuareg uprising in northern Mali in 2012 and has since spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, eventually reaching northern coastal West African nations like Benin more recently.
The ongoing conflict has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, contributing to five military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2020 and 2023.
In the aftermath of these coups, military leaders severed ties with traditional Western partners such as France and the U.S., opting instead to seek assistance from Russia in combating jihadist threats.
