Armed terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda killed 21 soldiers and injured nine others in an ambush on Tuesday in Tassia Sun Badjo, Tillaberi, Niger Republic. Following the tragic incident, the Niger government has declared a three-day period of national mourning to honour the fallen soldiers.

The announcement was made by Zagazola Makama, a Lake Chad Basin counter-terrorism and insurgency expert, via his X handle on Wednesday. Makama detailed that the attack occurred near Niger’s border with Burkina Faso and Mali, a region frequently targeted by extremist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The ongoing conflict in the Sahel region has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced over 2 million people. This latest attack comes amid heightened political tension in Niger, where a military junta seized power in a coup last year and now faces increasing pressure from neighbouring countries and international forces to address the escalating security crisis.

Makama noted, “On Tuesday, June 25, a terrorist ambush in Tassia Sun Badjo, Tillaberi, resulted in the deaths of 21 Nigerien soldiers, with nine additional soldiers injured. In response to this tragic event, the government of Niger has declared a three-day period of national mourning to honour the lives lost. The attack occurred near Niger’s border with Burkina Faso and Mali, an area frequently targeted by extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. This attack comes at a time of heightened political tension, as Niger’s military junta, which took power in a coup last year, faces pressure from neighbouring countries and international forces to address the growing security crisis.”