Monday, August 3, 2026 - At least 38 Nigerien soldiers were killed in two separate attacks by suspected Islamic State fighters on military positions in Niger, raising fresh concerns over the growing threat posed by extremist groups across the country.
The development was reported by security analyst Zagazola
Makama.
According to the report, the latest attack occurred on
Friday, July 30, when suspected Islamic State fighters launched a coordinated
assault on a military position at Dankassari, located between Doutchi and Yaya
in the Dosso Region.
Makama reported that the attackers overran the forward
operating base of the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces (FDS) after intense
fighting.
Detailing the casualty count from the first assault, Makama
stated:
“The
consolidated casualty figure stood at 21 soldiers killed. The number of wounded
or missing personnel was not immediately available.”
The report stated that the attack came hours after another
deadly assault on the town of N’Guigmi in the Diffa Region, where 17 members of
the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces, including an officer, were killed in
a separate attack also blamed on suspected Islamic State fighters.
The two incidents pushed the total death toll among Nigerien
security personnel on July 31 alone to 38
Makama noted that the attacks underscore the persistent
security challenges confronting Niger despite ongoing military operations
targeting extremist groups operating in the Tillabéri, Dosso, Diffa, and Tahoua
regions.
The report also cited data compiled by the Armed Conflict
Location and Event Data (ACLED) project, showing that at least 5,828 people,
including more than 2,000 members of the country’s Defence and Security Forces,
have been killed in terrorism-related violence since the military takeover on
July 26, 2023.
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