Togo: Eight soldiers killed in the Kpendjal prefecture, raising spectre of first deadly Islamist attack

Eight soldiers were killed and 13 wounded in an attack in northern Togo on Wednesday, the government said, marking potentially the first deadly raid on its territory by Islamist militants who have killed thousands in neighbouring countries.

Before dawn, a group of heavily armed gunmen ambushed an army post in the Kpendjal prefecture near the border with Burkina Faso, the government said in a statement.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The government blamed “terrorists”, without providing specifics.