“Civilian casualties” were found after airstrikes by Niger’s army against “terrorists” on Friday night near the border with Burkina Faso, the military regime that seized power in July admitted.

According to a statement from the National Council for the Salvation of the Fatherland (NSS, the military regime), the armed forces initially “repelled a terrorist attack” launched by gunmen on about twenty motorcycles on the evening of January 5 at around 19:00.

This attack targeted a military position in Tiawa, in the Tilaberi region (west), which neighbors Burkina Faso.

Then, “airstrikes” were carried out at around 20:30 against “a second convoy of ETO (a.k.a. ‘armed terrorist organization’) consisting of motorcycles and vehicles moving towards a military position in Tiawa”, the ESSR explained, according to its statement which was read on the state television news bulletin.

Yesterday Saturday, “during a clearing operation in the sector, an army patrol found civilian casualties at the scene of the raid,” the ESSR added, without giving a specific account.

The military regime assured that measures were taken to “rescue the wounded”, who were taken to a health center in the nearby town of Gote.

The authorities said that jihadist groups, active for years in the vast district of Tilaberi, although “in disorderly retreat and seeking refuge” after army operations, were still planning attacks on three security forces positions in the area.

Like its Sahel neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger faces repeated attacks by jihadist groups, particularly in the so-called tri-border region.

In late December, eleven villagers were killed in a double attack near the border with Burkina Faso.

In early October, 29 soldiers were killed in an ambush, also in the western part of the country, the deadliest since the July 26, 2023 military coup that ousted elected president Mohamed Bazum.