Gunmen have reportedly killed seven soldiers in an attack on Pendjari National Park, in the north of Benin Republic, an army source and a security source said on Wednesday, according to AFP.
The attackers were not identified, but the Tuesday incident was part of a series of assaults in a border area where Benin faces growing spillover from jihadist conflicts in the Sahel and where criminal gangs and smugglers also operate.
An army source who confirmed the incident stated, “The information about the loss of seven of our compatriots is confirmed.”
Another security source corroborated the attack. No group has claimed responsibility yet, and the army has not issued an official statement.
AFP also reported that West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea countries, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast, are all prepared for fallout from growing jihadist conflicts in the Sahel region across their northern borders.
With its borders adjacent to Burkina Faso and Niger, where jihadist groups associated with Al-Qaeda and Islamic State are engaged in conflicts, Benin has deployed 3,000 troops to bolster its frontier security.
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