ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Thursday condemned a terrorist attack in northern Benin that killed 54 soldiers.

Ankara is “deeply saddened” by the “heinous attack” on April 17 in the West African country, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, extending its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and the people of Benin.

Porto-Novo confirmed Wednesday that 54 soldiers were killed in coordinated attacks by armed groups.

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

Northern Benin has faced escalating attacks from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS (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.