In jihadist-infested western Niger, an armed group killed 20 servicemen and one civilian on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry announced, declaring three days of national mourning.
According to a ministry statement broadcast on national television, security forces were attacked by “a coalition of terrorist armed groups” close to the town of Tassia, resulting in “21 martyrs including one civilian” and nine injuries.
It stated that “several dozen” of the attackers had been slain and that further ground and airborne forces were being sent in to find the other attackers.
Flags will be lowered to half-mast on Wednesday to mark the start of three days of national mourning, the ministry announced, citing the security forces’ “unshakeable determination” to “continue this fight for sovereignty.”
Tassia lies in the Tillaberi region bordering Mali and Burkina Faso where rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have waged a bloody insurgency for almost a decade.
With AFP
