Al Qaeda Affiliate Claims Killing of 70 Soldiers in Benin’s Deadliest Attack in Over a Decade

Report By Safarti Tarjuman International Desk

Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an Al Qaeda-affiliated militant group, has claimed responsibility for a deadly assault that killed 70 soldiers in northern Benin, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

The attacks, which targeted two military outposts in the northeastern Kandi province of Alibori, mark the deadliest jihadist incident in Benin’s modern history. The assault occurred more than 500 kilometers from the capital, Cotonou, and is the latest indication of extremist groups expanding beyond the Sahel into coastal West African nations.

SITE, a U.S.-based organization that monitors jihadist communications, reported that JNIM released a statement on Thursday detailing its operations and claiming the high death toll. Benin’s military authorities have not yet officially responded, and repeated attempts to reach army spokesman Ebenezer Honfoga were unsuccessful.

The Kandi province has become increasingly vulnerable as militant violence spills over from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. These incursions are part of a broader pattern of jihadist expansion following a 2012 Tuareg rebellion in Mali that laid the groundwork for ongoing insurgencies throughout the Sahel.

Both Al Qaeda and Islamic State-linked groups have intensified their efforts to infiltrate coastal West African states such as Benin and Togo, traditionally seen as relatively insulated from the region’s Islamist insurgency. In recent years, northern Benin has experienced a sharp rise in violent attacks on security forces and civilians.

The growing insecurity poses a significant threat to regional stability and has sparked concern among international partners, including France and the United States, who have supported counterterrorism efforts across the Sahel.

As of now, the Beninese government has not issued an official statement confirming the reported death toll or the circumstances surrounding the attacks.