Headline

Benin Attack Kills Six Soldiers, Army ‘Neutralises’ 17 Assailants

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2025

Editor

A weekend attack killed six Beninese soldiers with the army having “neutralised” 17 unnamed assailants in response, a military source said on Monday.

Observers are increasingly worried about violence in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, both battling long-entrenched jihadist insurgencies, spilling into the coastal west African country.

“We lost six men and we neutralised 17,” a senior army official told AFP, adding that the military was “combing the W National Park” in response.

The Saturday afternoon attack took place in the Beninese town of Karimama, located in the nature reserve which extends across the porous Niger and Burkina Faso borders.

Attacks in northern Benin have increased in recent years with authorities blaming members of the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists based across the border.

A diplomatic source told AFP last month that 121 Beninese military personnel had been killed between 2021 and December 2024.

“The more the situation in Niger and Burkina Faso deteriorates, the harder it gets for Benin,” the source added.

In January, an attack in the Pendjari National Park near the borders of Niger and Burkina Faso killed 28 Beninese soldiers.

The incident was later claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM).

Gunmen in December killed three soldiers and wounded four others who were guarding an oil pipeline in northeast Benin.

Benin in January 2022 deployed nearly 3,000 troops to secure its borders as part of Operation Mirador.

The country’s authorities also recruited 5,000 additional personnel to reinforce security in the north.

Last week, Benin’s defence ministry announced new measures for soldiers’ “psychological support”.

“It’s our collective responsibility to offer them the necessary resources so that they can pursue their mission in the best conditions possible, in total safety, both physically and psychologically,” said Colonel-Major Mathias Alizannon.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.