NIAMEY (Monitoring) – At least 14 Nigerien soldiers were killed in a well-planned ambush in the volatile Tillabéri region, authorities confirmed, underscoring the deepening security crisis in the military-ruled West African nation.
Defense Minister Salifou Mody said the clash took place last Wednesday after troops were dispatched to stop what appeared to be a robbery by armed men on motorcycles. The incident, however, turned out to be a trap carefully set to lure the patrol into an ambush.
Though no group has claimed responsibility, several insurgent factions operate in the area, including an Islamic State affiliate notorious for targeting both civilians and soldiers.
Tillabéri, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, has become a flashpoint of extremist violence over the past decade. Both neighboring states, also under military rule, have faced a similar surge in militant attacks.
The Nigerien junta, which seized power in 2023 promising to restore stability, is now under pressure as attacks intensify rather than recede. A recent Human Rights Watch report said the IS Sahel branch has escalated assaults since March, killing over 127 villagers and worshippers and torching dozens of homes in Tillabéri alone.
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