A coalition of terrorist armed groups attacked security forces near the village of Tassia, resulting in “21 martyrs including one civilian” and nine injured, the Ministry of Defense announced in a statement on national television.
The ministry reported that “several dozen” of the attackers were killed, and aerial and ground reinforcements are being deployed to pursue the remaining assailants.
Three days of national mourning will commence on Wednesday, with flags lowered to half-mast. The ministry emphasized the security forces’ “unshakeable determination” to “continue this fight for sovereignty.”
Tassia is located in the Tillaberi region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso. This area has been plagued by a violent insurgency led by rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group for nearly a decade.
(AFP)
