At least 10 Nigerien security personnel were killed when gunmen attacked a police post in northern Niger, a region plagued by militant violence and cross-border trafficking, French media reported on Tuesday.
The assault targeted a police position in Assamaka, a desert town near the border with Algeria that serves as a major transit point for West African migrants heading north, according to Radio France Internationale (RFI).
Armed assailants arrived in six pickup trucks and opened fire on the post on Monday, Nigerien security sources told the broadcaster. Two attackers were killed in the ensuing clashes, the sources said.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Joint force against terrorist groups
The violence comes as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso seek to deepen security cooperation under a newly created joint force aimed at countering terrorist groups across the Sahel.
On December 20, the three countries formally launched the United Force of the Alliance of Sahel States (FU-AES), a 5,000-strong unit designed to conduct joint counterterrorism operations, strengthen border security and boost intelligence sharing.
The force, headquartered in Niamey and commanded by Burkina Faso’s Gen. Daouda Traore, reflects a shift away from Western security partnerships and the regional bloc ECOWAS, as the three states pursue a collective defence strategy of their own.
While authorities have not announced full deployment, the legal framework allows for rapid mobilisation if threats escalate — a scenario increasingly likely as attacks continue across the region.
