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At least six Nigerien soldiers were killed this Sunday in an attack carried out by armed men against a position of the Nigerien defense forces in the Tahoua region, in the northwest of Niger. This is what the Nigerien army announced in a press release.
According to the operations bulletin of the Niger Armed Forces (FAN), broadcast by public television, the detachment of the defense and security forces stationed in Tébaram was “violently attacked by a group of terrorists”. However, thanks to the “vigorous response of our soldiers”, the enemy was forced to withdraw, leaving “behind many dead and wounded”.
Unfortunately, the army deplored the loss of six soldiers during this attack. This is the second attack recorded against units of the Nigerien army in the space of seventy-two hours and the third in two weeks.
Another army unit was ambushed last Monday on the Say-Tamou axis, in the Tillabéri region, in western Niger. According to the report provided by the army, one soldier was killed and ten others were injured, but “several terrorists” were neutralized.
In addition, the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) announced yesterday that they had neutralized 22 terrorists during patrols in the sectors of Larba-birno, Garbougna and Méhana, in the Tillabéry region (west). These sectors are located in the “three borders” region (Niger-Mali-Burkina Faso), a new hotbed of insecurity in the extreme southwest of the country.
“This decisive action demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and maintaining stability in the region,” the army said in its statement.
It should be noted that on June 25, 20 Nigerien soldiers and one civilian were killed in an attack carried out by “a coalition of armed groups” in the department of Téra, in the Tillabéri region, near the border with Burkina Faso. In response to this attack, the Nigerien army claimed to have neutralized “more than 100 terrorists” during the operations carried out.
Since 2017, the regions of Tahoua and Tillabéri, bordering Mali and Burkina Faso, have suffered recurring armed attacks attributed to terrorist groups operating in these two neighboring countries. These tragic attacks highlight the urgent need to strengthen security and the protection of civilian populations in these unstable border areas.
It should be noted that the Sahel is plagued by violence from terrorist groups affiliated mainly with Al-Qaeda and Daesh, which terrorize the civilian population and threaten the stability of several countries, notably Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
These three Sahel countries, united within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), formed a joint force last March to fight against the terrorists who regularly attack their territories.
Also recalling that Niamey, Bamako and Ouagadougou ratified their alliance within a “confederation” at the beginning of July, which would further strengthen security and military cooperation in these neighboring countries.