Several Niger soldiers killed in fighting near Mali: ministry

On Wednesday, soldiers from Niger's army perished in clashes with heavily armed mercenaries near Mali's border, according to the West African nation's defense ministry. The exact number of casualties was not disclosed, but the fighters involved were identified as mercenaries, a term employed by the junta-run country's authorities to denote jihadists.

Around 6:30 am, soldiers attempting to apprehend stolen livestock encountered a sizable column of heavily armed mercenaries on motorbikes near Fartel in the western Tillaberi region, as per a defense ministry statement broadcast on state television that evening. Several valiant soldiers were reported to have lost their lives while others sustained injuries while performing their duties.

Following significant losses, the enemy was compelled to withdraw and retreat northward, carrying a few of their deceased along with them. Western Niger, a region where the Islamic State group's branch in the Sahel region wields influence, experienced gunfire during the confrontation.

The junta, which assumed power following a coup in 2023, has encountered challenges in quelling the country's longstanding jihadist conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives over the past decade. In late August, the military-led government had to quell a mutiny with the assistance of allied Russian mercenaries, following intense clashes at several strategic sites in the capital, Niamey.

Mali's defense minister, Sadio Camara, was among those killed in the coordinated militant and rebel attacks.