Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe [Photo: Face2Face Africa]
Togo has declared a “state of security emergency” in the Savannah area which covers most of its northern region.
The Togolese government says the measure will last for three months with a possible extension by the national assembly.
The move allows security forces in the country to have an easier time to deal with threats of jihadist attacks.
It follows May’s attack in a town near the border with Burkina Faso, which saw eight Togolese soldiers killed and 13 others wounded.
Officials say the soldiers were attacked by a group of 60 gunmen who arrived on motorbikes.
The government has now deployed troops in the region to contain a possible jihadist threat pushing south from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
This comes after reports that some militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group operate within the region.