At least 51 people were killed in a fierce clash between Nigerien soldiers and suspected jihadists near the country’s western border with Burkina Faso on Friday.
The coordinated militant assault left 10 soldiers dead and 15 others injured. Militants were 41 in the meantime.
The West African nation, currently under military rule, has been battling al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated jihadist groups for over a decade.
In a statement aired on national television, Defence Minister General Salifou Modi confirmed that hundreds of attackers launched simultaneous assaults on Boloundjonga and Samira in the Gothèye region, near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, an area long plagued by extremist violence.
The army responded with force, killing 41 militants, according to the ministry’s report.
The incident points out the ongoing instability and the severe security challenges facing Niger and its neighbors in the Sahel region.
