Niger’s defense ministry said late Tuesday an attack by suspected jihadists in the western part of the country killed 17 Nigerien soldiers.
A defense ministry statement said its forces were ambushed near the town of Koutougou, which is located near Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
In addition to those killed, the statement said the attack wounded 20 other soldiers, and that all of the casualties had been evacuated to Niamey.
The defense ministry also said Nigerien troops killed more than one hundred militants.
The incident comes three weeks after a military coup in Niger, with leaders saying they acted after the elected government’s lack of action to control jihadi violence.
Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
