Niger says 17 of its soldiers killed in ambush near Burkina Faso border

Niger’s junta on Wednesday said 17 of its soldiers were killed in an ambush by insurgents, the deadliest attack since a July 26 coup whose leaders have cited persistent insecurity as a justification for deposing the civilian government.

The ambush took place on Tuesday about 60 km from the capital Niamey, in a southwestern area that borders Burkina Faso, the defence ministry said, adding that 100 attackers it referred to as “terrorists” were killed.

“The swift reaction of the soldiers and the air-land response at the scene of the skirmish enabled the enemy to be dealt with,” the ministry said.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the main regional bloc, said it had learned with sadness of various attacks by armed groups that had led to the death of “several” soldiers.

It called on Niger’s military leaders to restore constitutional order so they could focus on security, which it said had become increasingly fragile since the coup.

via Reuters