Terrorism has once again rocked Niger, claiming the lives of 10 soldiers in a deadly attack on a region notorious for its association with ISIS and al-Qaeda militants, known as the “Death Triangle.”
Last week, the Nigerien military confirmed the deaths of 10 soldiers and the injuries of 7 others in a “terrorist attack” on the village of Betilmole, located in the western part of the country, near the border with Burkina Faso. The military, however, did not provide further details about the incident in its operational report.
On the same day, social media posts referred to another attack that reportedly resulted in casualties in the nearby town of Chatoman. Despite these reports, the Nigerien military junta dismissed them as “baseless.”
Though the military has denied the additional attack, media outlets have reported that nearly 100 Nigerien soldiers were killed in clashes with terrorists in the Tera region, alongside the deaths of around 50 civilians caught in the crossfire.
The attack in Chatoman took place during the town’s weekly market day—a time when the Defense Forces typically secure the area, as markets are prime targets for armed groups. This time, however, a group of terrorists on motorcycles overwhelmed the soldiers encircled the market and launched a brutal assault.
Sources from both security and medical teams revealed to France24 that at least 90 soldiers were killed, and approximately 50 civilians were wounded during the gunfire exchanges.
Although no group has officially claimed responsibility for the massacre, the Tera region—located near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali—has been a stronghold for both al-Qaeda and ISIS militants in the Sahel region.
According to the “Acled” organization, which tracks global conflict-related deaths, nearly 1,500 civilians were killed in terrorist attacks across Niger in the past year.
