Ten soldiers lost their lives, and seven others were injured during a “terrorist attack” in Petel Kole, a village in western Niger near the border with Burkina Faso. The attack, which occurred on Tuesday, involved hundreds of armed assailants on motorcycles attempting to overrun the military position, according to a statement by the Nigerien army.
The military confirmed that at least 26 attackers were “neutralized” during the assault. The attack highlights the ongoing security challenges in Niger, which has faced increasing violence from jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Sahel region.
In a separate development, rumors circulated on social media alleging a devastating assault in Chatoumane, also in western Niger, with claims that 91 soldiers and 40 civilians had been killed. However, Niger’s military junta dismissed the claims as baseless, accusing adversaries of spreading misinformation to demoralize troops and sow division.
“This is a brainwashing campaign by adversaries of the Nigerien people to sap our troops’ morale and sow divisions,” the joint chiefs of staff stated on national television.
Niger has been under military rule since July 2023 following a coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Violence in the region has intensified, with conflict monitoring group ACLED reporting over 1,500 civilian and military deaths in the past year, more than double the number recorded in the previous year.