More than 50 members of Niger’s security forces have been killed in two separate attacks in the country’s west, as armed groups linked to ISIS continue to target military positions in the Sahel nation, security sources said on Monday.
A convoy of gendarmes was ambushed near the town of Abala-Filingué on Wednesday, while a second attack in Birni-N’Konni on Saturday killed more than 30 soldiers, two security sources told Reuters.
The sources attributed both attacks to terrorists but did not provide further details about the circumstances or the identities of those responsible.
ISIS’s regional affiliate, Islamic State Sahel Province, claimed responsibility for both assaults in statements issued on Sunday, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist organisations.
The attacks represent another serious security challenge for Niger’s military-led government, which seized power in a coup in 2023 amid promises to restore security in a country struggling with a long-running insurgency.
In January, ISIS fighters attacked Niamey’s civilian airport and military airbase, demonstrating the armed group’s ability to strike sensitive installations in the capital.
Niger’s military leadership has also faced growing unrest within its own ranks.
Last month, mutinous soldiers attacked the airport and presidential compound in Niamey, triggering a standoff with forces loyal to the government. Those forces were supported by troops from Africa Corps, a Kremlin-controlled paramilitary organisation.
Analysts and security sources say repeated battlefield losses, particularly in western Niger, have fuelled frustration among frontline military units.
The latest attacks underscore the continuing threat posed by armed groups in the country’s western regions, where security forces have struggled to contain an insurgency that has destabilised large parts of the Sahel.
