Al Qaeda Affiliate JNIM Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attacks That Killed 70 Soldiers in Northern Benin Republic

Military fighters affiliated with former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

An al Qaeda-affiliated militant group has claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on two military outposts in northern Benin that resulted in the deaths of 70 soldiers—the deadliest assault in the country's recent history. The attacks, reportedly carried out by Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), took place in Kandi province in Benin's northeastern Alibori department, more than 500 kilometers from the capital, Cotonou.

The jihadist group stated that its fighters launched raids on the two military positions, inflicting significant casualties and seizing equipment. These attacks mark a disturbing escalation in extremist violence in coastal West Africa, where jihadist groups aligned with both al Qaeda and Islamic State have been steadily expanding from their original bases in the Sahel.

Benin and its neighbor Togo have experienced a growing wave of attacks as extremist groups exploit porous borders and regional instability to expand their reach southward. JNIM, active primarily in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, has increasingly targeted security forces in regions previously considered less vulnerable to jihadist infiltration.

The broader insurgency began after a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012 and has since engulfed parts of Burkina Faso and Niger, causing widespread death and displacement. According to regional and international observers, the violence has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people across the Sahel and into coastal nations.

Between 2020 and 2023, the persistent conflict contributed to five military coups across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. In the aftermath, these countries severed defense ties with Western nations like France and the United States, shifting toward alliances with Russia to confront jihadist threats.

The attack in Benin highlights the growing influence and operational reach of jihadist groups beyond traditional Sahel strongholds, signaling new security challenges for West African coastal states.