The West African country, which has recorded at least five attacks since November, declared a state of emergency in June, which was due to end mid this month.

But on Tuesday, the Togolese national assembly unanimously voted to extend it for six months until March next year.

The extension was necessary “for the proper conduct of military operations, maintaining order, and for a return of peace and security in this region", the AFP news agency quoted Togolese Minister of Security Damehame Yark as saying.

Togolese troops are deployed in the north to try to contain a jihadist threat pushing south from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group operate.