20 Soldiers Killed In Armed Group Attack In Niger

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION//FIly Andrejevic

Twenty soldiers and a civilian were killed in an attack in western Niger near the border with Burkina Faso.

The Ministry of Defense said security forces were attacked on Tuesday, June 25, near the village of Tassia in the Tilluberi region. The attack, called the ministry, was carried out by a coalition of armed groups.

Soldiers killed dozens of militants while defending themselves from the attack.

In March, 23 Niger soldiers were killed in the Tillabili region which was also hit by an uprising. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Niger is one of several Western African countries fighting an Islamic uprising that has spread out of Mali over the past 12 years, killing thousands of people and forcing millions of people to flee.