54 Soldiers Killed in Terrorist Attack in Benin

The government of Benin has confirmed that 54 soldiers were killed in a deadly terrorist attack in the north of the country last week.

The official toll, released Wednesday, is lower than the number claimed by a group linked to al-Qaeda, which took responsibility for the assault.

This marks one of the deadliest attacks on Benin's military in recent years, highlighting the increasing threat posed by jihadist groups expanding their reach beyond the Sahel region into West Africa.

Benin and neighboring Togo have both experienced a surge in extremist violence, as armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State intensify operations in the region.

In a statement posted on Facebook, presidential spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji described the event as a "devastating loss for the nation," underlining the gravity of the security challenge facing the country.

According to SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors extremist activity, the al-Qaeda-affiliated group claimed responsibility on Saturday, stating it had killed 70 soldiers in attacks on two military outposts in northern Benin.

While the government did not confirm the higher casualty figure, the incident underscores Benin's growing vulnerability to extremist violence spreading southward from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where foreign military operations have scaled down in recent years.