Dozen Soldiers Killed in Suspected Jihadist Attack in Niger

A dozen Niger soldiers were killed in an attack by hundreds of armed insurgents on motorbikes in the country's southwest, according to the defense ministry. Seven soldiers were killed in combat, while five others died in an accident while driving to reinforce the unit under attack. The attack occurred near the tri-border zone of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which has been a hotspot for Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel region. The identity of the responsible group was not disclosed. The defense ministry reported around a hundred insurgents killed, and their motorbikes and weapons destroyed. The military junta, which took power in a coup in July, has been facing pressure to address the deteriorating security situation in the country.