The Ministry of Defence in Niger reported that at least 20 soldiers and a civilian were killed in an attack by armed groups in western Niger.The ministry also stated that nine others were wounded in the ambush of security forces near the village of Tassia in the Tillaberi region.
As a result, the government announced three days of national mourning starting on Wednesday.
The Ministry, in a statement broadcast on state television, reported that the attack near the Burkina Faso border was orchestrated by a coalition of armed groups, although specific groups were not named.
It was noted that soldiers had neutralized numerous fighters in self-defense. Additional aerial and ground forces were mobilized to pursue the remaining assailants.
Last year, Niger’s military government seized power in a coup, ousting the democratically elected administration.
Since then, it has expelled French and United States forces from the country, setting a deadline of September 15 for the departure of U.S. forces.
In response to ongoing armed rebellion, the government has sought assistance from Russian mercenaries to help stabilize the situation.
Niger, along with several other West African countries, is grappling with multiple armed rebellions that originated from Mali over the past 12 years.
These conflicts have resulted in thousands of casualties and displaced millions of people.
The failure of authorities to protect civilians has fueled military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2020.
Tassia is located in the Tillaberi region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso. This area has been plagued by activities of rebel groups associated with al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) for nearly a decade.
During March, ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack in Tillaberi that resulted in the deaths of at least 23 Nigerien soldiers.
Regarding recent events, the rebel group Patriotic Liberation Front assaulted a China-backed pipeline last week, issuing threats of additional attacks unless a $400 million deal with China was terminated.