89 Soldiers In Niger Were Killed In Extremist Attack
It was the West African nation’s deadliest attack of its kind in years.
Eighty-nine soldiers were killed in an extremist attack on a Niger military base last week. It was the West African nation’s most deadly attack of its kind in years.
Following the attack, Niger’s president Issoufou Mahamadou fired the army’s chief of staff. The government also announced that three days of national mourning would begin on Monday.
“The government calls on the population to be more vigilant, more serene and united, and reaffirms its determination to continue the fight against terrorism until the final victory,” the government said in a statement.
The attack happened last Thursday when heavily armed militants attacked an army outpost in the western town of Chinagodrar, near the border of Mali. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but the attack resembles an attack in December, when an ISIS-linked group ambushed the town Inates, killing 71 soldiers.
West Africa’s Sahel region has experienced several deadly attacks in the last few months linked to extremist groups. In November, at least 50 soldiers died in Northeast Mali after a militant attack. Thirteen French soldiers were also killed in a crash involving two helicopters during an operation against jihadist fighters in Mali. According to the French Defense Ministry, it was the single-biggest loss for the French military since 1983.
While many factors are contributing to the violence, some regional experts have pointed to instability in Libyaas well as poverty as motivators for young people to join extremist groups.