Niamey confirmed the deaths of 5 soldiers in an attack on a military post
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Niamey - Niger's government on Tuesday confirmed the deaths of five soldiers and three "assailants" in a "violent attack" on Monday against a military outpost in western Niger, on the Malian border.
- According to an anonymous security source and a Malian elected, the attack was perpetrated by Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
"The provisional toll of the attack against the military post in Tilwa (Tillabéri region) is as follows: five deaths among armed forces of Niger and three assailants", said a statement read on state radio by the Spokesman of the Government Laouali dandah.
The assailants, whose one vehicle was destroyed, also burned an army vehicle and ook another away, said dandah, also Minister of Teaching.
According to the minister the attack was conducted Monday between 6:00 and 8:00 a.m. local time (5:00 and 7:00 GMT) and a group of attackers managed to "flee".
The minister gave no assessment of casualties and said that "investigations are conducted to determine the exact identity of the attackers.
Laouali dandah however stressed that the perpetrators received "local complicity" and "used military means and weapons of war" in the attack.
"This is an area that is experiencing all sorts of human trafficking in drugs and arms, it is the combination of these factors that contributes to maintain a recurrent insecurity," said the minister.
Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is operating in the border area between Mali and Niger.
In January, seven soldiers and their civilian guide were killed in an attack by heavily armed men against Tlemss village in the Tahoua region of Niger, Mali's border.
Three assailants were also killed by the Nigerian army.
The attackers, whose motives are unknown, were pursued as they took the direction of Mali.
Four European tourists (two Swiss, a German and a British) had also been abducted in the region in January 2009.
AQIM, who had claimed the kidnapping announced in June to have killed the British tourist, while three other hostages were freed.
The Tuareg rebellion in Niger is also present in this area.
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Ennaharonline/ M. O.
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