Twelve Nigerien soldiers were reported killed during a surprise attack carried out by armed assailants in western Niger, according to a statement released by the Army over the weekend.
The offensive was said to have taken place on Friday near the village of Sakoira, located close to the country’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso—a region long recognised as a stronghold for extremist groups. While the attackers were described as “terrorists,” no specific organisation was named as responsible.
The incident followed a pattern of escalating violence in the tri-border area, where extremist groups affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaeda have operated for more than a decade. In a related development last month, 44 civilians were reported killed in an attack on a nearby village, which was attributed by the army to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). The persistent insecurity has continued despite the formation of a joint security pact, the Alliance of Sahel States, by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—countries now governed by military juntas.
Since the expulsion of French forces from all three countries and the subsequent engagement of Russian mercenary groups, the security landscape across the Sahel has reportedly deteriorated further. Analysts have indicated that record levels of violence and civilian casualties have been witnessed, with both militant groups and government forces accused of contributing to the instability. The Sahel region, stretching along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, has remained one of the most volatile zones of conflict in the world.