Armed assault near Mali border kills 34 Nigerien soldiers

In western Niger, proximate to the Malian border, a coordinated assault by several hundred armed assailants resulted in the deaths of 34 Nigerien soldiers, according to an official statement from the country’s defence ministry.

The assault took place in the town of Banibangou and was described by the ministry as “cowardly and barbaric,” Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to an official statement broadcast on state television, “This Thursday, June 19, a cowardly and barbaric attack was carried out against (the town of) Banibangou by a horde of several hundred mercenaries aboard eight vehicles and more than 200 motorbikes.”

The attack left 14 soldiers wounded as well.

The ministry reported that Nigerien forces managed to kill “dozens of terrorists” during the ensuing battle. Reinforcements have been deployed to Banibangou, with ongoing search operations by land and air aimed at locating the perpetrators.

Both Niger and Mali, which are currently governed by military juntas, have faced ongoing difficulties in curbing jihadist violence, which has escalated in recent weeks.

Banibangou is situated near the tri-border area of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, a region plagued by jihadist groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Additionally, Niger continues to confront threats from jihadists linked to Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province, in the southeast, near the borders with Lake Chad and Nigeria.

By Aghakazim Guliyev