Several Togolese Soldiers Killed in Cross-Border JNIM Attack

On July 20th, approximately 1,000 members of Ansaroul Islam—a militant Islamic group that forms part of the umbrella organization Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM)—conducted an attack on a Togolese military outpost in the country's northern Kankanti region. It is believed that the group launched the attack from Kompienga province in Burkina Faso, which is under the authority of Fulbe Iddrisa Dicko, a prominent Islamic militant..What You Need to Know.Local sources point to at least 12 casualties within the Togolese armed forces (FAT), with several more injured or missing. The sources also point to the neutralization of an estimated 40 militants..The attack, which began late in the day on Saturday and lasted several hours, resulted in the capture of the Togolese advanced outpost by the militant group. The militants held the post for several hours before retreating with a mass of arms, including, mortars, rifles, and ammunition..According to Zagazola Makama counter-insurgency experts in the Lake Chad area, it is thought that JNIM is seeking to create a 'mantiqa' (similar to a wilaya, meaning autonomous zone) in Togo, although these claims have not been confirmed by JNIM media..Furthermore, Zagazola experts have highlighted that since 2021, JNIM militants have conducted cross-border attacks into Togo, mainly from Kompiegna province, with the Togolese government's attempts to negotiate proving unfruitful..So, What Now?.Togo experienced its first 'terrorist attack' in November 2021, when jihadists attempted to storm a military outpost in the northern prefecture of Kpendjal, although the attack was repelled..In early May 2022, suspected JNIM militants conducted an attack on a Togolese military outpost, killing 8 personnel. This incident constituted the country's first deadly terrorist attack and prompted the Togolese government to declare a state of emergency in the nation's northern Savanes region in June that same year..Since then, and as evidenced by this most recent attack, the strength of Burkina Faso's jihadist forces has grown, enabling them to stage such an operation. The use of immense manpower to overwhelm the Togolese security services not only highlights the growing threat of Islamic militancy in West Africa and the wider Sahel region, but also that despite contrary reports promulgated by the Burkinabe military junta, the nation is failing to contain the insurgency in the country to such a degree that it is spilling into neighboring nations..The spread of Islamic militancy in wider West Africa threatens coastal nations such as Ghana, Benin, the Ivory Coast, and Togo, all of whom share borders with Burkina Faso, and which have generally been spared from terror attacks in the past..The US loss of its airbase in Niger, from which drone strikes were conducted, also serves as a win for the insurgents, as conventional ground forces are repeatedly proving unable to effectively counter the highly mobile jihadist forces.