Todd Bishop
The attack on a barracks in a remote area of Niger, a West African country, on December 11 killed at least 71 soldiers. The incident is suspected to be related to jihadists linked to the extremist groups ISIS and al Qaeda.
The attacked barracks were located in the western town of Inates, Niger. The Ministry of Defence of Niger confirmed that a total of 71 soldiers were killed, another 12 were injured and several were missing.
Local security sources said that terrorists used mortars and other weapons to attack military camps, which led to the explosion of arms and fuel depots, causing serious casualties. No organization has acknowledged responsibility for the time being.
The area of the incident was also attacked by an ISIS branch in May and June, killing about 50 soldiers in total. Niger and the Nigerian army are currently fighting the armed group Boko Haram on the southern border.
West African countries such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have been plagued by extreme terrorists in recent years. Although thousands of foreign troops have been deployed in many areas, the situation has not improved. In 2017, four U.S. forces were killed in Ouallam, about 45 kilometers from the attack site.
