‘At least 60 dead’ after attack on Nigerian military base | World | News

At least 60 people, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in an attack on a Nigerien military engineering unit in Garbougna, in the Tillabéri region, near the border with Mali, according to reports.

According to reports involving ‘several security and local sources’, the targeted unit was participating in the construction of a bridge when heavily armed fighters launched an assault on the military base. The camp was reportedly completely destroyed during the attack. Several civilians present near the construction site are among the victims, while other residents are said to have fled to neighboring towns to escape the fighting, LSI Africa reports.

Nigerien security forces reportedly launched search and pursuit operations in the area following the attack. However, some parts of the sector remained difficult to access due to the presence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly abandoned by the attackers. The Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, claimed responsibility for the attack a few hours later in a statement. According to several security analysts, this claim is particularly noteworthy because Garbougna is located in an area long considered favorable to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Many observers see this as a sign of a reconfiguration of the areas of influence of jihadist groups active in the Sahel.

According to our information, the provisional death toll stands at around sixty, but this figure could still rise in the coming hours. Meanwhile, the specialized media outlet Zagazola Makama reports at least 67 deaths following the attack.