21 Nigerien Soldiers Killed in Ambush by ‘Terrorist Group’
21 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush by a ‘terrorist group,’ near the Burkina Faso border, Niger’s ruling military junta announced on Tuesday evening. The statement, broadcast on national television, did not specify the group responsible for the attack.
Niger is currently grappling with a severe security crisis involving multiple armed groups. The situation has been exacerbated by recent activities from the rebel Patriotic Liberation Front, which attacked a China-backed pipeline last week and threatened further violence unless a $400 million deal with China is cancelled.
The group, led by former rebel leader Salah Mahmoud, resumed hostilities following last year’s coup that toppled the democratically elected government.
This incident is part of a broader conflict affecting the Sahel region, where Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso are combating movements linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
The decade-long conflict has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 2 million people, according to the United Nations.
Mali and Burkina Faso, also governed by military juntas following multiple coups since 2020, have expelled French forces and increasingly relied on Russian mercenaries to counter the Islamist insurgencies.
Source: Africanews
