An armed group killed 20 troops and one civilian in jihadist-plagued western Niger on Tuesday, according to the defense ministry, which also declared three days of national mourning.
“A coalition of terrorist armed groups” launched an attack on security forces near the village of Tassia, resulting in “21 martyrs including one civilian” and nine others wounded, the ministry announced in a televised statement.
The statement mentioned that “several dozen” of the attackers were killed and that both aerial and ground reinforcements are being deployed to pursue the remaining assailants.
The period of national mourning will commence on Wednesday, with flags flown at half-mast. The ministry reaffirmed the security forces’ “unshakeable determination” to “continue this fight for sovereignty.”
Tassia is located in the Tillaberi region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso. This area has been the site of a violent insurgency by rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group for nearly a decade.
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