An ambush in a flashpoint region killed at least 14 Nigerien soldiers, authorities say

An ambush by armed men in a flashpoint region in military-run Niger last week killed at least 14 soldiers, the country’s defense minister said in a statement, the latest in escalating militant attacks in the West African nation.

The attack took place in the hotspot Tillabéri region on Wednesday, said the statement, broadcast by the state RTN television late Saturday. It followed the deployment of a military unit on the outskirts of Tillabéri, based on intelligence reports of an ongoing robbery there by a gang of armed men riding on motorcycles.

“This attempted theft turned out to be a decoy intended to lure the patrol into an ambush,” said Salifou Mody, the defense minister. He did not name the group suspected in the attack.

Several militant groups that target both civilians and the military operate in Niger, including an Islamic State group affiliate.

The Tillabéri region borders borders Mali and Burkina Faso — two other countries struggling with escalating insurgency — and has been a hotspot for terror attacks over the past decade.

The Nigerien military government came to power in 2023, after deposing the country’s democratically elected government, promising to stem the increasing spread of attacks. However, data shows the attacks have stepped up — something that also applies to Mali and Burkina Faso, where the military also took over in coups.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch earlier this month, the Islamic State has stepped up attacks against civilians since March 2025. The New York-based watchdog documented at least five attacks in Tillabéri, where the militant IS Sahel offshoot reportedly killed “over 127 villagers and Muslim worshipers, and burned and looted dozens of homes.”

By BABA AHMED
Associated Press