At least 15 Niger soldiers killed near Burkina border during confrontation
Niger defence ministry on Tuesday said that at least 15 soldiers lost their lives during an armed confrontation close to the border with Burkina Faso, according to news agency AFP.
The ministry also stated that three soldiers were unaccounted for, while 16 were wounded and receiving medical treatment. Additionally, the ministry confirmed that 21 “terrorists” were killed in the clashes, which took place in the Tillaberi region in the western part of the country.
According to the ministry, the swift arrival of reinforcements from Tera forced the armed groups to retreat northward. The attack occurred nearly a year after a military coup, which the army justified by citing the deteriorating security situation in the country.
In the 12 months since the coup, armed groups, particularly those affiliated with Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, have persisted in carrying out attacks in the Tillaberi region. Recent weeks have seen intense clashes resulting in numerous casualties on both sides. Despite a significant deployment of troops and the junta’s pledge to quadruple military numbers by 2030, civilians have not been spared from the violence. However, accurate victim tolls remain difficult to determine due to limited independent data.
Tera serves as a crucial intersection point for thousands of cargo trucks arriving monthly from the port of Lome in Togo via northern Burkina Faso. These lorries are escorted by troops from both neighboring states. Four weeks prior to this incident, an attack by armed groups in the same region claimed the lives of 20 soldiers and one civilian. The army reported killing “more than 100 terrorists” in response. Earlier this month, seven civilians were killed in the nearby village of Dosso Kouregou.
In addition to the violence in the west, Niger is also grappling with threats from Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West African offshoot in its southeastern region. Meanwhile, military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani has declared Friday an official holiday to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
Since seizing power, the junta has completely reshaped its international partnerships. In late last year, they requested that France, the former colonial power, withdraw its troops that had been combating jihadist groups in the Sahel nation. By mid-September, a US contingent is also scheduled to depart from an important drone base at Agadez in the north. Instead, Niamey has been cultivating closer ties with Iran, Turkey, and Russia. Russia notably sent military instructors to Niger in April and May.
On a regional level, Niger has engaged in rapprochement with Burkina Faso and Mali, which are also governed by military juntas following recent coups.
Source » msn.com
