Benin confirms 54 soldiers killed in armed attacks, dismisses inflated death toll claims

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - The Beninese government confirmed Wednesday that 54 soldiers were killed April 17 in coordinated attacks by armed groups in the northern regions of the country.

The La Nouvelle Tribune reported that government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji expressed condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.

He noted in a statement that the death toll for the ranks of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) during the attacks was not in the hundreds, contrary to information shared on social media.

The attacks targeted army positions at the tripoint area between Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso, and at the Koudou Falls.

Houngbédji said eight soldiers were killed at the Koudou Falls and 46 at the tripoint location.

He emphasized that "this does not diminish the seriousness of what happened."​

In addition to military casualties, Houngbédji reported that 33 attackers were killed in clashes with the Beninese army, and numerous injuries were recorded on both sides.​

He highlighted the need to strengthen the army's operational capabilities, particularly logistics and equipment, to address the terror threat.

Houngbédji cited a lack of cooperation with neighboring countries as a factor in the persistence of attacks.​​​​​​​​

​Northern Benin has faced escalating attacks from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh, infiltrating from neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

The Beninese government in response launched Operation Mirador in January 2022, deploying nearly 3,000 soldiers and recruiting an additional 5,000 to bolster security in vulnerable areas.

Despite the efforts, the region remains volatile, with a deadly ambush in January at the "triple point" border area resulting in the deaths of 28 soldiers in an attack claimed by the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin.