- Niger’s military regime has reported that six soldiers and 31 individuals described as “terrorists” were killed in clashes in the restive Tillaberi region, near Burkina Faso.
- The fighting occurred between Sunday and Monday and also left 18 soldiers injured, according to the defence ministry.
Tillaberi is located in the volatile “three borders” region shared by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by jihadist insurgencies linked with groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for several years.
The recent conflict erupted in an area northwest of Tera, and it follows a series of deadly attacks in the region in the preceding weeks. Earlier in the month, Niger observed three days of national mourning after a suspected jihadist attack resulted in the deaths of 29 soldiers, marking the deadliest incident since the military assumed power in July.
Niger is contending with two jihadist insurgencies: one originating from the southeast, an outgrowth of the protracted conflict in neighbouring Nigeria, and the other stemming from the west, with militants crossing from Mali and Burkina Faso.
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The military leaders who seized power in July cited the deteriorating security situation in the country as a primary reason for their action, leading to the overthrow of the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.