12 soldiers gunned down, 7 missing as terrorists ambush Nigerien military
Twelve soldiers and a civilian driver were reportedly killed in an ambush by suspected Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) militants in the Tahoua Region of Niger on March 11.
Security expert Zagazola Makama shared details of the attack in a report on X, citing sources that indicated the ambush occurred between Yaya and Tahoua, near Bagga village. The military convoy, consisting of about 50 personnel from the 42nd Infantry Battalion and the Rapid Security Brigade, had been deployed to reinforce security following an earlier pipeline sabotage attributed to ISGS operatives.
The soldiers were traversing a seven-vehicle convoy when they encountered a coordinated ambush from the insurgents. Reports indicate that 12 members of the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces were killed, alongside the civilian driver.
Additionally, one soldier died after being transported to a hospital in Tahoua, while the mission’s commanding officer, a lieutenant, sustained serious injuries from gunfire. At the time of the report, seven soldiers were still unaccounted for, and several others incurred injuries during the attack.
