Dozens of people were killed on Tuesday (December 10th) in the attack on a Nigerian army camp in Inates, a town in the west of the country near Mali, according to sources quoted by Agence France on Wednesday. -Press and Reuters. A Nigerian security source has reported "more than 60 deaths" with AFP. Four security sources told Reuters that the attack killed at least 70 people.
"The terrorists shelled the camp with shells and mortars, and ammunition and fuel explosions are the main cause of this very heavy toll," the AFP source said.
This still uncertain balance sheet is the heaviest suffered by the Nigerien army since the beginning of the jihadist attacks in the country, in 2015.
"The President of the Republic, supreme leader of the armed forces, Issoufou Mahamadou, interrupted his participation in the Conference on sustainable peace, security and development in Africa held in Egypt, to return to Niamey following the tragedy at # Inates, "said the presidency on Twitter.
Attacks more and more frequent
Tuesday, the council of ministers had extended for a period of three months the state of emergency decreed since 2017 in several departments to fight against jihadist attacks.
This measure gives additional powers to security forces in theaters of operations, including the ability to order night and day searches in a home. In addition, it limits travel in the areas concerned.
>> To see, The Interview of France 24: "Mahamadou Issoufou: 'It takes an international coalition against the jihadists in the Sahel'"
The north of the Tahoua region and the neighboring region of Tillabéri are the target of more and more frequent attacks by jihadists from nearby Mali.
Since October, humanitarian organizations have been banned from visiting certain areas without military escort.
The jihadists are multiplying deadly actions in the Sahel - particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso - despite the presence of French soldiers from the Barkhane anti-terrorist force.
With AFP and Reuters
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