Twelve Nigerien troops were killed in a fatal raid in western Niger, the nation’s military stated in a statement seen by Reuters on Saturday. The attack took place on Friday close to the tri-border zone where Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali converge a place well known for a chronic jihadist rebellion attributed to al-Qaeda and Islamic State offshoots.
In a statement issued by the military, the troops were on a mission about 10 kilometers (six miles) north of Sakoira village when they were attacked by armed militants in what was termed a “surprise offense.” Two suspects were detained after the incident. The attackers were not identified by the statement, although previous attacks in the region have been linked to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS).
Niger last month accused EIGS of a deadly assault on a mosque in the tri-border area, killing at least 44 civilians.
The wider Sahel insurgency started in 2012 with a Tuareg uprising in northern Mali before spreading to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. It has since destabilized much of West Africa, including extending into coastal nations such as Benin.
The extremist violence has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, eroding regional security and perpetuating political instability. Repeated attempts at restoring order have resulted in coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in 2020 and 2023, keeping all three nations under military control despite demands from the international community for elections.
In the wake of these political realignments, military regimes within the region have cut historical bonds with Western powers such as France and the US, instead turning to Russia to help contain jihadist threats.
