Benin’s authorities has admitted that 54 soldiers had been killed by suspected jihadists in the nation’s north final week close to the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger.
The authorities had beforehand mentioned that solely eight soldiers had been killed.
The revised determine makes it the deadliest identified attack since insurgents started working in northern Benin initially of the last decade.
The attack has been claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked group – Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, (Jnim), which is predicated in Mali however has in current years expanded its operations to neighbouring nations.
The jihadist group had mentioned it killed 70 soldiers in raids on two navy posts in the north, in line with intelligence group SITE.
Jnim is considered one of a number of jihadist teams working in West Africa’s Sahel area, particularly Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the place the navy governments are struggling to comprise the insurgency.
Benin and Togo have seen an increase in jihadist exercise in current years, as teams linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda unfold to the south.
“Heavy losses for the nation,” wrote presidential spokesman Serge Nonvignon in a Fb put up on Wednesday.
One other authorities spokesperson, Wilfried Leandre Houngbedji, mentioned that Benin was decided to proceed the combat in opposition to the jihadists.
“We can’t give in… I can guarantee you that eventually, eventually, we’ll win,” he mentioned.
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