Daesh Claims Responsibility for Deadly Attack on Niger Army

Daesh on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on Niger’s army that it said had killed 30 soldiers on Wednesday. (Reuters/File)

On Saturday, the Daesh militant group claimed responsibility for an attack on Niger's army, saying it left 30 soldiers dead on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by its AMAQ news agency and shared on its Telegram channel, the attack took place during an attack on a convoy near Tagui town in the Talberi region of western Niger.

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Contrary to ISIS's claims, Niger's defense ministry reported on Thursday that 23 soldiers were killed in the attack, and 17 others were wounded. The ministry further claimed that around 30 attackers were killed in the clash.

Niger is in the midst of a broader fight against an Islamist insurgency, a challenge shared by West African countries. The insurgency has erupted in Mali over the past 12 years, killing countless people and displacing hundreds of thousands of people.

The authorities' failure to adequately protect civilians has fueled frustration and contributed to military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020. Following these coups, the new military regimes cut ties with Western allies involved in local military efforts. They expelled French and other European forces and instead sought help from Russia.

In a recent move, Niger's junta abruptly canceled a military agreement that allowed US Department of Defense personnel, both military and civilian, to operate within its borders.