Military casualties in Niger after boko haram assault near N’Guigmi
International
Niger: soldiers killed in Boko Haram strike near N’Guigmi
At least ten Nigerien soldiers were killed Friday when jihadist group Boko Haram launched a surprise assault on a military outpost near N’Guigmi, in southeastern Niger. Local sources confirm losses among the attackers as well.
N’Guigmi, a garrison town in the Diffa region bordering Lake Chad, has become a hotspot for Islamist violence since 2009. The area now hosts fighters from both Boko Haram and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“A dozen soldiers were killed in Friday morning’s attack by Boko Haram militants near N’Guigmi,” a city resident told reporters on condition of anonymity. “We also saw casualties among the attackers,” they added. “Security forces are currently conducting clearance operations.”
Casualties confirmed by local reports
Social media posts from N’Guigmi residents corroborated the assault, noting that “ten soldiers and four national guardsmen lost their lives.”
The official Nigerien Press Agency (ANP), without providing specific numbers, confirmed that victims “died following an attack by Boko Haram elements on the outskirts of N’Guigmi.”
Hours after the assault, the governor of Diffa region, General Mahamadou Ibrahim Bagadoma, attended burials in N’Guigmi for “security personnel who fell in battle while defending the nation,” ANP stated.
Regional jihadist violence spreads
Boko Haram’s insurgency has left thousands dead and displaced millions in Nigeria’s northeast alone. The violence has since spread to neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting these countries to reactivate their 1994-established Multinational Joint Task Force.
In response to Boko Haram’s deadly attacks on its troops, Chad launched mid-May airstrikes and ground operations against the group’s hideouts on remote Lake Chad islands, with support from Nigeria and Niger.
Niger faces additional threats from Al-Qaeda and IS-affiliated groups in its western regions. Since July 2023, the country has been under military leadership struggling to contain the violence.