The Military Government of the Niger Republic announced on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, that fighting in a volatile area ravaged by rebels connected to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State had claimed the lives of seven soldiers and dozens of terrorists. According to the Defense Ministry, on Monday, 20 May 2024, in Boni, the Western Tillaberi District close to Burkina Faso, there was an attack on a military position by suspected terrorists.

The ministry added in a statement aired on state television that two persons, including a civilian, sustained injuries. It further said that “a few dozen terrorists” had been neutralized and that their vehicles had been destroyed.

The statement also included assurances from General Salifou Modi, the Minister of Defense, about the “unwavering determination of the defense and security forces to continue the fight against the terrorist threat.”

Despite the extensive deployment of anti-jihadist forces, militants have been carrying out operations in Tillaberi, which is located in the large and unstable “three borders” region between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, for years.

In August 2023, a terrorist ambush near Boni and Torodi claimed the lives of seventeen Nigerien soldiers. The Military Officers that took over the Niger Republic in a coup in July 2023 did so on the pretext of the country’s deteriorating security.

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which is based in the southeast of Diffa, close to Nigeria, and is a rival group to Boko Haram, is another violent force that the Niamey Government needs to contend with.

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