Benin attack: The army has suffered heavy losses in Niger

Benin forces have suffered heavy losses in an attack by the insurgents near the border with Niger and Burkina Faso, officials said.

Colonel Faizou Gomina, Chief of Staff of the National Guard, said one of Benin’s best-equipped military positions in the north was hit on Wednesday evening.

“We received a very hard blow”, added Col Gomina.

The country has seen increasing attacks in the northern region in recent years, attributed to jihadist groups based in neighboring countries.

More than 120 Beninese soldiers were killed between 2021 and December 2024, a diplomatic source told the AFP news agency.

Last month, gunfire killed three soldiers and wounded four others guarding an oil pipeline in the northeast.

Col Gomina did not report any casualties from Wednesday’s attack, but the main opposition party, the Democrats, said around 30 soldiers were killed in the Alibori region, Reuters news agency reported.

A security source put the death toll at 28, according to AFP.

“We continue with the cleaning work. 40 attackers have been neutralized so far,” added the military source.

Col Gomina said the attacked position was “one of the most powerful and militarized” and asked military commanders to improve their operational strategies to counter security threats.

“Wake up, officers and section chiefs, we have battles to win,” he said.

In 2022, Benin deployed nearly 3,000 troops to stop cross-border incursions and bolster security in the north.