Niger: 23 soldiers killed, others wounded in violent attack by armed militants
Armed militants ran riot in Niger as they killed at least 23 soldiers and wounded 17 in a renewed attack on a military unit in the northwestern part of the country.
The defence ministry confirmed that more than 100 armed men on motorbikes and in vehicles used improvised explosive devices and suicide bombs to ambush the military unit in the attack that happened on Wednesday.
The troops were returning back from an operation in the insurgency-hit Tillaberi region when they came under attack.
Niger is one of many West African countries fighting extremist insurgency that has extended from Mali in the last 12 years, leading to the killing of thousands and uprooting millions of people
Since 2020, frustrations with governments’ failure to protect civilians have sparked military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
The juntas that snatched power cut links with Western partners, and expelled French and other European forces and turned to Russia for military assistance instead.
Last week, Niger’s ruling military terminated an agreement that allowed military and civilian personnel from the United States Department of Defense to operate in its country.
