Armed attacks attributed to Sahel-based jihadist groups have intensified in northern Benin in recent weeks, highlighting the continued spread of militant activity along the country’s borders with Burkina Faso and Niger.

On March 4, fighters linked to the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its French acronym JNIM, claimed responsibility for an attack on a military position in the village of Kofouno in the Karimama district of Alibori province near the Niger border.

Benin’s armed forces confirmed the assault. According to the military, at least 15 soldiers were killed and several others wounded. Other sources cited higher casualty figures, but the military has not confirmed those reports. The army said Beninese forces responded to the attack, including through airstrikes targeting the assailants.

The incident was one of several attacks reported in northern Benin in late February and early March. During the night of February 26 to 27, an armed group attacked a customs post in Segbana, also in Alibori province but closer to the Nigerian border. Several members of the security forces were reported missing after the attack, and the assailants reportedly seized vehicles and communications equipment before withdrawing.

Another incident occurred earlier in the northwestern Atacora region when armed men targeted a police station in the Kouandé district. According to local sources, one of the buildings at the station was set on fire before the attackers fled the area.

Additional clashes were reported near the Pendjari area along the border with Burkina Faso. JNIM said its fighters carried out raids on two military positions near the frontier on March 7, describing the operations as cross-border incursions launched from Burkina Faso.

Beninese authorities said the military responded quickly to one of the attacks on the Lodge Pendjari position. Ground troops supported by aerial assets engaged the militants and forced them to retreat. According to the army, 17 attackers were killed in the fighting while one Beninese soldier died. Security forces said they recovered weapons, ammunition, and motorcycles used by the attackers.

These incidents reflect a form of cross-border insurgent activity that has expanded across the Sahel in recent years. Militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have long operated in parts of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Northern Benin, which borders these regions, has increasingly faced incursions by fighters launching short-duration raids against security installations.

Benin launched Operation Mirador in 2022 to strengthen security in its northern territories and prevent armed groups from establishing permanent bases inside the country. The operation initially deployed around 3,000 troops along vulnerable border areas.

Authorities have announced plans to reinforce the operation with an additional 5,000 personnel, whose recruitment is currently underway. In January, the Beninese military reported that counterterrorism operations in northern areas resulted in the neutralization of dozens of militants during the final quarter of 2025.

Military officials say sustained operations have prevented armed groups from maintaining permanent positions in the country’s border zones. However, the recent attacks indicate that militant groups operating from neighboring countries remain capable of carrying out intermittent raids.

The security situation has also unfolded amid broader political tensions in the region. Relations between Benin and the military governments of Burkina Faso and Niger have deteriorated in recent months, complicating regional security cooperation.

At the same time, Benin’s security forces have been adjusting following a failed coup attempt in December, which involved elements of the national guard and other units, including personnel frequently deployed in northern counterterrorism operations.

In response, authorities placed security forces on heightened alert, particularly along northern border regions exposed to infiltration by militant groups.

While Benin has so far avoided the large-scale territorial control seen in parts of the central Sahel, the recent attacks underscore the country’s growing exposure to the insurgency that has spread across West Africa over the past decade. Northern border areas remain the main front line in efforts to prevent militant groups from expanding further toward coastal states in the region.