Niger Republic soldiers clear a corridor during a training exercise with the 409th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron air advisors at Nigerien Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger, July 10, 2019 | Photo: US Air Force/Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer
At least 44 officers of Niger Republic’s defence and security forces (FDS) were killed in a deadly ambush by suspected jihadist militants during a river patrol operation in the Dosso Region.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, reported the attack late Tuesday.
Citing security sources, Zagazola said the attack — which targeted a military unit patrolling the River Niger around the Falmey area, near the country’s border with Benin Republic — happened on Monday.
According to preliminary reports, the patrol unit, made up of 71 personnel, was ambushed by fighters believed to be linked to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), an al-Qaeda-affiliated group active in the Sahel.
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Among the casualties was the unit commander, who is presumed dead.
Several bodies are still missing in the river.
The report said 27 soldiers were rescued, including several who sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention.
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Authorities have launched a search-and-recovery operation in the Falmey area, while reinforcing security across vulnerable sectors in Dosso and surrounding regions.
The Nigerien government is yet to issue an official statement, but Zagazola said its sources indicated that high-level security consultations are ongoing in Niamey.
The ambush marks one of the deadliest single-day losses for the Nigerien military in recent months.
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