15 MILITARY PERSONNEL KILLED IN BENIN BY AL-QAEDA-AFFILIATED GROUP
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By: Fasasi Hammad
Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists killed 15 soldiers in an assault on a military base in northern Benin, the West African nation’s armed forces reported Thursday.
The attack, which occurred Wednesday at a base in Kofouno near the Benin–Niger border, was claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), Al-Qaeda’s Sahel branch.
West Africa has experienced a surge in attacks by JNIM, the Islamic State, and other jihadist groups, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, where military coups have compounded regional instability. In recent years, this violence has increasingly spilled over into northern Benin and neighboring Togo.
Beninese army spokesman Colonel James Johnson told AFP that five soldiers were also wounded in the raid, “whose lives are not in danger.” He added that military aircraft killed “at least four terrorists” as they retreated, noting that “the hunt continues.”
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A military source in the region, speaking anonymously, described the attack as leaving a “heavy human toll” and said troops were “currently sweeping the area.” A regional security journalism group, Wamaps, reported that the base had been “pillaged and torched” during the assault.
Benin, which is scheduled to hold a presidential election next month, suffered a particularly deadly year for its security forces in 2025, including a JNIM attack in April that killed 54 soldiers. In response, the government launched a 3,000-troop anti-jihadist task force in 2022 and has since recruited an additional 5,000 soldiers to bolster security in the northern region.
Experts note that JNIM is increasingly recruiting from local populations and extending its operations to countries along the Gulf of Guinea. The group combines religious proselytizing with logistical operations and sporadic attacks, though it does not control large territories outside the Sahel.
The border region between Benin, Niger, and Nigeria has emerged as a new hotspot for jihadist violence, according to a recent study by the conflict monitoring group ACLED. A UN Security Council report last month indicated that JNIM has recently appointed an emir specifically for Benin.
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