The Beninese government confirmed Wednesday the deaths of 54 soldiers in coordinated armed attacks on April 17 in the country’s northern regions.
Government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji refuted social media claims of a death toll in the hundreds, stating that 8 soldiers were killed at Koudou Falls and 46 at the tripoint area bordering Niger and Burkina Faso.
Houngbédji conveyed condolences and emphasized the seriousness of the losses. He reported that 33 attackers were killed and numerous injuries occurred on both sides.
The spokesperson stressed the need to enhance the army’s logistics and equipment to counter the terror threat, citing a lack of cooperation with neighboring nations as a contributing factor to the persistent attacks by extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh.
Northern Benin has seen increasing infiltration by these groups from Burkina Faso and Niger.
Despite Operation Mirador, launched in 2022 to bolster security, the region remains volatile, recalling a deadly ambush in January that killed 28 soldiers.