At least 10 soldiers were killed and 15 others injured following a double attack on Friday near Niger’s western border with Burkina Faso, the military reported. The assault, carried out by several hundred armed men, struck the areas of Bouloundjounga and Samira, located in the Gotheye department, a region frequently targeted by armed insurgent groups.
According to Defence Minister General Salifou Modi, the attackers were successfully repelled, with 41 militants killed in response operations. The announcement was made via national television.
Gotheye department lies in a volatile tri-border zone shared with Mali and Burkina Faso, where attacks by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Daesh have intensified in recent years.
Samira village, one of the targeted areas, is also the site of Niger’s only large-scale gold mining operation. The area saw previous bloodshed in May, when eight mining workers died after their transport vehicle hit an explosive device.
Authorities say security operations are ongoing, with reinforcement units deployed to secure the area and prevent further attacks.