At least 20 soldiers and one civilian killed in western Niger | News on armed groups

The country is observing three days of national mourning following the deadly ambush on security forces in the insurgency-hit region.

At least 20 soldiers and one civilian were killed in an attack by armed groups in western Niger, the Defense Ministry said.

The ministry declared three days of national mourning starting Wednesday after an ambush on security forces near the village of Tassia in the Tillaberi region the previous day, in which nine other people were injured.

The attack near the border with Burkina Faso was carried out by a coalition of armed groups, the ministry said in a statement read out on state television. However, the names of the groups were not mentioned.

Soldiers said they had killed dozens of fighters in self-defense. Air and ground reinforcements were deployed to track down the remaining attackers.

Niger’s military government came to power last year through a military coup and overthrew the democratically elected government.

France and the United States have expelled their troops from the country. US troops have been ordered to leave the country by September 15. In their efforts to crush the armed uprising, they are turning to Russian mercenaries.

Several armed uprisings

Niger is one of several West African countries battling numerous armed insurgencies that have spread from Mali over the past twelve years, killing thousands and forcing millions to flee their homes.

Frustration over the authorities’ failure to protect civilians has led to military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020.

Tassia is located in the Tillaberi region on the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, where rebels with links to al-Qaeda and IS (ISIS) have been wreaking havoc for almost a decade.

In March, at least 23 Nigerien soldiers were killed in another attack in Tillaberi, which IS claimed responsibility for.

Last week, the Patriotic Liberation Front rebel group attacked a Chinese-funded pipeline and threatened further attacks if a $400 million deal with China does not fall through.