The government of Benin announced that 54 soldiers were killed April 17 in attacks by jihadists on military positions in a national park near the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger. The attacks in Park W, claimed by al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM, are the deadliest yet in Benin. JNIM attacks in Benin have now caused more fatalities so far in 2025 (157) than they did in the entirety of 2024 (103), according to the monitor Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED). (TNH)

National Park W, where the attacks took place, is part of the WAP complex (made up of W, Arly and Pendjari national parks) straddling the borders of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. The park complex has become heavily militarized in recent years in response to jihadist infiltration from the north. (Mongabay)