The military government in Niger announced on Tuesday that 21 people, including 20 soldiers were killed by terrorists in an ambush near the border with Burkina-Faso, adding that there would be three days of national mourning.
“A coalition of terrorist armed groups attacked security forces near the village of Tassia, leaving 21 martyrs including one civilian and nine injured.” The statement in a national broadcast read.
It disclosed that dozens of the attackers were killed and aerial and ground reinforcements were being deployed to find those at large.
Last week, the rebel Patriotic Liberation Front, led by Salah Mahmoud attacked a China-backed pipeline and threatened more attacks if the $400 million deal isn’t cancelled.
Niger, along with its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, are fighting movements connected to al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist group in a decade-long conflict in the Sahel region that is deteriorating.