Niger: Six Army Substitutes Killed in EIGS-Claimed Ambush in Tillabéri
Six army substitutes were killed in an ambush by suspected militants of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) near the village of Danga in western Niger, the group claimed in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement published via its propaganda channels, the attack occurred last Sunday between Ouallam and Mangaïzé in the restive Tillabéri region, a known hotspot for extremist violence.
The group reported that six members of local armed militias were killed, several others wounded, and five motorcycles burned during the assault. Additionally, EIGS claimed to have seized 14 motorcycles and withdrew from the area "without loss," using its typical phrasing.
Local sources have yet to confirm the full extent of the casualties, and the Nigerien authorities have not released an official statement on the incident.
The attack occurred not far from the volatile Mangaïzé-Tiloa-Tongo Tongo triangle, an area where 135 members of the Nigerien Defense and Security Forces (FDS) are still unaccounted for, highlighting the persistent insecurity plaguing the region.
The Tillabéri region, located in the so-called "three borders" zone between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, remains under a state of emergency and has been the site of repeated attacks by insurgent groups linked to both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
