Niger’s Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that a terrorist attack in western Niger resulted in the deaths of 20 soldiers and one civilian.
The country has been grappling with relentless attacks from various armed groups.
In an official statement broadcast on national television, the Ministry detailed that an “alliance of armed terrorist groups” assaulted security forces near the town of Tassia.
The attack led to the death of 21 individuals, including a civilian, and left nine others injured.
The Ministry also reported that “dozens” of the attackers were killed in the confrontation.
Air and ground reinforcements have been deployed to pursue the fleeing assailants.
The government declared a three-day national mourning period starting Wednesday, during which flags will be flown at half-mast.
The ministry lauded the security forces for their “steadfast determination” to “continue the fight to maintain sovereignty.”
Tassia is located in the Tillabéri region, adjacent to Mali and Burkina Faso, where insurgents affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS have been waging a rebellion for nearly a decade.
