Niger soldiers killed near Mali border, ministry says

Several Nigerien soldiers were killed and others wounded on Wednesday in fighting near the Malian border, Niger's defence ministry said.

The ministry did not give an exact death toll. It said soldiers trying to intercept stolen livestock encountered a large column of armed men on motorbikes near Fartel in the western Tillaberi region at about 6:30 am.

The ministry described the fighters as “mercenaries”, a term Niger's military authorities use for jihadists. It said the opposing fighters suffered losses and retreated north, taking several of their dead with them.

Western Niger is one of the areas where the Islamic State group's Sahel branch has influence. Niger's junta, which took power in 2023, has struggled with a long-running jihadist conflict that has killed thousands over the past decade.