Niger’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths of at least 12 of its soldiers in a fierce attack carried out by hundreds of armed rebels on motorcycles. The strike took place early Thursday morning in the southwestern part of the nation.
As per the official statement, seven soldiers were directly killed in combat, while five met their end in an unfortunate accident en route to reinforce the unit under attack. The onslaught occurred in Kandagi, roughly 190 kilometers from the capital, Niamey. This location is perilously close to the tri-border region shared by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Historically, this area has seen heightened activity from extremists in recent years, particularly groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Earlier on the same day, three sources, including a senior-ranking army officer who chose to remain anonymous due to lack of authorization to address the media, told Reuters that at least ten soldiers had been slain. Neither these sources nor the Ministry of Defense have pinpointed the group responsible for the assault. However, it’s worth noting that both Al-Qaeda and ISIS have notorious subdivisions that are active in this region, with a track record of launching repeated attacks on military and civilian targets.
Providing a glimmer of resistance amidst the tragedy, the defense ministry’s statement highlighted that approximately 100 rebels were killed during the skirmish, with their motorcycles and weapons destroyed. The specifics of this claim remain to be detailed. In response to the offensive, two security sources informed that Niger’s military countered the insurgents using ground forces and helicopters, with one of the aircraft sustaining damage but safely returning to its base.
Currently, Niger is governed by a military council that seized power in a coup last July. The coup was partially influenced by the deteriorating security situation. However, security analysts point out that such attacks had been on the decline during the tenure of the deposed President, Mohamed Bazoum.
