Gunmen kill 15 policemen in Niger

n n

Armed men killed 15 police officers in southwest Niger, near the west African country’s border with Nigeria and Benin, local sources told AFP Saturday.

n

Although those responsible have not yet been identified, Friday’s attack was just the latest in a region prone to jihadist violence carried out by groups linked to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS) group.

n

This latest attack targeted a gendarmerie station near Tessa, in the Dosso region, a former local elected official told AFP. It was carried out by unidentified armed men on motorbikes “who probably came from neighbouring Nigeria”, he added.

n

A local official confirmed the toll of 15 dead to AFP, without elaborating.

n

Videos posted to social media by locals appear to show burnt-out vehicles and shelters inside the gendarmes’ compound.

n

The victims of the attack were buried Saturday at a cemetery in the city of Dosso.

n

The authorities in Niger have so far made no statement on the attack.

n

Niger, governed by a military junta for three years, has been plagued by jihadist violence and saw a spate of kidnappings of Westerners last year.

n

Earlier this month, state media and local sources said hundreds of people had fled their homes in the region after a series of attacks in mid-July against their villages.

n

The border zone became the site of fresh jihadist violence in 2025 as groups affiliated to al-Qaeda or IS moved into the territory, according to the ACLED conflict monitor.

n n