The defense ministry announced on Monday night that a suspected jihadist attack in western Niger resulted in the deaths of twenty-nine soldiers.
In response, a three-day national mourning period has been declared.
The soldiers were subjected to an attack involving “improvised explosive devices and kamikaze vehicles by more than a hundred terrorists,” as stated in a televised announcement by the ministry.
Two soldiers sustained severe injuries, while “several dozen terrorists” were reported to have been killed in the incident.
The attack occurred in close proximity to Niger’s border with Mali, amidst military operations designed to “neutralising the threat posed by the Islamic State” in the region, as stated by the ministry.
“Communications from the terrorists, who were forced to withdraw, have been intercepted”, the ministry said, adding that the attackers “benefitted from outside expertise”, without giving any further details.
A jihadist insurgency has afflicted the Sahel region of Africa for over a decade, initially emerging in northern Mali in 2012 and subsequently extending to neighbouring countries such as Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015.
The “three borders” region, situated between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, frequently witnesses assaults conducted by militants associated with both the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.
The ongoing violence has contributed to military takeovers in all three nations, with Niger being the most recent to experience a coup on July 26.
In August, an assault by suspected jihadists near the border separating Niger and Burkina Faso resulted in the tragic loss of at least 17 Nigerien soldiers, with an additional 20 sustaining injuries.