No fewer than 17 soldiers of the Nigerien National Gendarmerie have been reportedly murdered by fighters of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, EIGS.
Security expert, Zagazola Makama, who broke the news in a report on his official X handle, said the sad incident happened Wednesday.
He said the assailants attacked a security position in Garbougna, located along the Terra–Niamey axis, leading to the casualties.
Quoting reliable sources, Makama noted that the attack involved heavily armed militants who overwhelmed the gendarmerie post with a combination of direct fire, improvised explosive devices and manoeuvre tactics.
He said preliminary casualty report indicates that a team leader, a captain were among the 17 personnel killed.
About 34 others reportedly sustained serious injuries.
The security expert further revealed that multiple operational vehicles were destroyed by the armed men
“They also seized military equipment and weapons before withdrawing from the location.
“Reinforcement teams were deployed to the area shortly after the incident, while aerial surveillance was activated to track the fleeing assailants”, he added.
