Authorities in Niger have confirmed that at least 10 soldiers were killed and seven others injured in a deadly ambush earlier this week in the country’s southern Dosso region. The attack, which took place on Monday, was carried out by what officials described as “terrorists,” according to a statement broadcast on state radio.
The government said several of the attackers were killed during the operation, while others were captured. However, a security source told Reuters that the true scale of the assault may be worse than officially reported, with at least 18 soldiers still missing. The attackers also reportedly made away with three security vehicles.
Niger, alongside its Sahelian neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, continues to battle jihadist insurgencies linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. The latest attack underscores the persistent security challenges facing the region.
In response to the ambush, the government has imposed a ban on motorcycle use in the affected areas—a common counter-insurgency tactic in regions where armed groups often use motorbikes to move quickly and carry out attacks.
The governor of Dosso region, Colonel Major Bana Alassane, visited the site of the attack the following day to offer condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.
This is the latest in a series of deadly incidents in Niger. Just last month, 12 soldiers were killed and five Indian nationals kidnapped near the volatile tri-border region shared with Mali and Burkina Faso. In March, at least 44 civilians were killed in a mosque attack attributed to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) near the same region.
The escalating violence continues to raise concerns about the growing influence of extremist groups and the mounting toll on civilian and military lives across the Sahel.
