Five soldiers killed in attack in northern Benin park

COTONOU (Reuters) – Five soldiers were killed by suspected Islamist militants in northern Benin’s Pendjari National Park, two military sources said on Tuesday.

The attack on Monday also wounded several soldiers who are being treated at a nearby hospital, said the sources, who requested anonymity.

The soldiers were killed when an army convoy struck an improvised explosive device, they said.

It was the latest in a string of deadly attacks in northern Benin, where groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have spilled over from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Benin’s army has not officially communicated on the incident and its spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Allegresse Sasse and Pulcherie Adjoha; Writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by Grant McCool)