Gunmen kill 16 in attack on Niger military camp

Tuesday, 2 July 2019 13:42

An attack on a military camp near the town of Inates in western Niger has left 16 soldiers dead.

Following the raid on Monday afternoon near the Mali border, the gunmen escaped with a dozen military vehicles.

It's the same region where an ambush by IS' West African branch killed 28 soldiers in May.

The attack comes just days ahead of the African Union summit in Niger's capital Niamey.

Security has deteriorated in recent months, with France and the US deploying thousands of troops to counter IS and al Qaeda terror threats.

More from International News

Race to reach trapped survivors offers hope in Colombia quake zone

Rescuers raced in Colombia on Friday to free four people from a collapsed hotel, a rare sign of hope nearly four days after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Andean nation in decades left hundreds dead or missing.
France's top court blocks social media ban for under-15s

France's top court on Friday blocked a bill banning social media access for under-15s, saying it infringed upon freedom of expression and delivering a setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who asked his government to rewrite the legislation.
Japan's record rains strand thousands at Narita airport; kill eight

Record rainfall in Japan stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita airport on Friday, bringing floods to the surrounding area that disrupted transport, knocked out power to 20,000 homes and killed eight.
Wildfires in Britain hit record levels after homes burn in intense heat

Wildfires in England and Wales have hit a record level, fire chiefs said on Friday, warning that rescue services were battling to keep up with rising risks a day after fires raced from tinder-dry fields to engulf houses on the hottest day of the year.