At least 34 Nigerien soldiers have been killed and 14 others injured in a deadly assault on a military base near the Malian border, according to the country’s defence ministry. The attack, which took place Thursday in the town of Banibangou, involved over 200 armed assailants on motorbikes and several vehicles. Authorities described the attackers as “mercenaries” and confirmed that “dozens of terrorists” were neutralised in the counteroffensive.
This incident underscores the growing challenges faced by Niger’s military government, which took power in 2023 after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum, citing failure to curb escalating insurgent violence.
Banibangou sits near the volatile tri-border region shared with Mali and Burkina Faso an area notorious for jihadist activity. The ruling junta has expelled Western forces and is now relying on alliances with Russia and Turkey to combat insurgent threats alongside Burkina Faso and Mali. However, despite these shifts in strategy, violence across the Sahel continues to surge.
