Niger kills ‘more than a hundred terrorists’ in an operation launched after an attack that left twenty dead

4 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Nigerien military junta announced on Thursday the death of “more than 100 terrorists” in an operation recently carried out in the western province of Tillabéri, near the border with Burkina Faso, following an attack last week that resulted in the deaths of nearly 20 people.

The operation took place near the town of Tassia, located in the Téra area, and included both ground operations and bombings against suspected terrorists who were trying to head towards the border with Burkina Faso after the attack, according to the official newspaper ‘Le Sahel’.

The Nigerien army has stressed that operations are continuing in the area and has stated that these actions are a sign of the “unwavering determination” of the Defence and Security Forces (SDF) to act against terrorist groups in order to guarantee security in the territory of the African country.

The Tillabéri region, where branches of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Sahel operate, has suffered in recent years from increased insecurity, with attacks against the military and civilian population, a situation that adds to a new political crisis following the coup d’état of 26 July 2023.

The country also faces the threat of Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA) in the Diffa region of the Lake Chad basin. Both groups also carry out attacks in Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon.