At least 23 soldiers have been killed and 17 others injured in a suspected terror attack in Niger, according to government figures.
Niger's military government announced three days of national mourning on Friday. The soldiers were ambushed by around 100 attackers in the Tillabéri region near the border with Mali, according to a government statement read out on television on Thursday evening.
Around 30 attackers were also killed in the incident on Wednesday night.
The information cannot be independently verified.
Islamist militant groups are active in the tri-border region between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, one of the most dangerous regions in the world, with some having pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State terror groups, among others.
According to the conflict data organization ACLED, at least 1,146 people were killed in the course of political violence in Niger in 2023, more than a third of them civilians.
As of mid-March, at least 423 more people have been killed so far this year in further violence.
Prior to a military coup in Niger last year, international partners, including France and the United States, had deployed forces to help the Nigerians fight terrorism.
German military personnel were also involved in training security forces in Niger.
Like Mali and Burkina Faso, the country is now increasingly turning away from former partners, in particular the former colonial power France, and towards Russia.
At the beginning of March, the three West African countries announced their intention to create a joint anti-terrorist task force.
Last week, Niger's military junta also publicly called on the United States to withdraw its remaining military personnel from the country. US media reports say Washington is trying to negotiate with the junta to keep its roughly 1,100 soldiers there.
