Unidentified attackers have killed five forest rangers and seven soldiers in a national park in the north of Benin, the conservation group African Parks said Saturday.

The attack happened overnight Thursday to Friday not far from the Mekrou River in W National Park, the group said in its statement.

"African Parks has made arrangements to identify the bodies of its personnel and to inform the rangers' families, for whom it will provide support at this tragic time," it added.

Contacted by AFP, Benin's army has not yet responded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but violence from a jihadist uprising with its origins in the Sahel region has spilled over the borders into Benin.

The authorities in Benin have attributed an increasing number of attacks there to groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

In June, seven soldiers were killed by unknown attackers in the Pendjari National Park, which is also in the north of the country.

Officials in Benin rarely comment on such attacks, but in April 2023 have reported around 20 cross-border incursions since 2021.

In January 2022, Benin deployed nearly 3,000 soldiers to patrol its borders in an effort to tackle the growing threat.