Ten soldiers killed in terrorist attack in western Niger

Ten soldiers were killed and seven others injured in a terrorist attack near Niger's border with Burkina Faso, the army confirmed on Wednesday.

The attack occurred Tuesday in the village of Petel Kole, where hundreds of militants on motorcycles targeted a military position. The army reported that 26 attackers were "neutralized."

Meanwhile, claims of another assault in Chatoumane circulated on social media, but Niger's junta dismissed them as "unfounded." Military officials accused adversaries of spreading falsehoods to weaken troop morale.

Since a military coup in July 2023 ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger has faced escalating violence from militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda and DAESH.

Over 1,500 civilians and soldiers have been killed in attacks this year, a sharp rise from 650 fatalities reported in the previous year, according to ACLED.