On Tuesday, 17 soldiers lost their lives following an attack by suspected jihadists carried out near Niger’s western border with Mali, News About Nigeria gathered.
According to a statement released by the defence ministry late on Tuesday, an army detachment fell prey to a terrorist ambush close to Koutougou.
The statement further revealed that 20 soldiers were wounded during this unfortunate incident, six of whom are in critical condition and have been moved to Niamey.
The army reported that over 100 assailants were successfully “neutralized” during their retreat.
It is on record that the Malian authorities exercise full control over a mere 15% of the territory, for over 10 years, as Mali has served as the central location for Islamist violence in the Sahel region. In 2012, jihadists sponsored ethnic Tuareg rebels in taking over a significant portion of the north.
Burkina Faso which also shares borders with Niger and Mali has also 40% of its territory to Jihadists.
The region commonly referred to as the “three borders” is frequently plagued by insurgent attacks carried out by groups linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The attacks in this area have resulted in the deaths of thousands of military personnel, police officers, and innocent civilians alike while causing millions of individuals to be displaced from their homes.
The outrage over the deaths has resulted in military coups across all three nations since 2020.
Most recently, Niger experience a coup on July 26th, which led to the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger is also grappling with a jihadist insurgency in its Southeastern region caused by militants infiltrating from Northeastern Nigeria – where Boko Haram launched its campaign in 2010.
