The Niger government has declared three days of national mourning after a total of 89 soldiers were killed in another raid on a military base.
What We Know:
- A statement on Sunday by government spokesman, Abdourahame Zakari, said the attack happened on Thursday when heavily armed militants attacked an army outpost in Chinagodrar. This was located west of the country, near the border of Mali.
- The number of casualties in Thursday’s attack ended up surpassing the previous month’s raid of 71 deaths, orchestrated by jihadist militants, on another military outpost in the same region. The armed forces in both Niger and Mali are currently working together to clamp down on the jihadist insurgency.
- It was confirmed that the latest attack coincided with a meeting that is going to be held in France over security in the region. French President Emmanuel Macron and five presidents from the Sahel region will be present at this summit.
- Analysts have noted a sharp rise in the level of jihadists’ tactics, which seem to have become more daring and complex in recent months. Aside from the Niger forces, only the impoverished armies of Chad, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, a 4,500-man French force in the Sahel, and the 13,000-man UN force in Mali, remain to fight off the threat.
Officials say they have begun an investigation into the incident and urge citizens to be resolute in their support as the country continues its war against terrorism.
