At least 36 Nigerien soldiers were killed in a coordinated jihadist assault on the town of Makalondi, near the Niger–Burkina Faso border.
According to security sources from security analyst and counter insurgency expert in lake Chad region and West Africa Zagazola makama, the attack occurred on February 4 at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the Tillabéri region.
Fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) reportedly overran a military position, killing dozens of troops and injuring several others, some critically.
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Sources said the attackers seized at least 12 military vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns, along with weapons, ammunition, and other equipment. One of the captured vehicles was later found destroyed a few kilometres from the attack site.
Following the assault, Niger’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Salifou Mody Barmou, visited Makalondi on February 5 to assess the situation firsthand, highlighting the scale of the losses suffered by the armed forces.
In a separate incident, suspected Islamic State Sahel/ISWAP fighters attacked a Customs post in Kouré, in Niger’s Dosso Region, at about 2:00 a.m. on February 6. One Customs lieutenant and one Forest Service sergeant were reported missing, while two Customs informants were killed.
Security officials said one Customs vehicle was burned, another was taken by the attackers, and several motorcycles were destroyed during the raid.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Mali, JNIM militants launched coordinated attacks on Dozo militia positions in Nayo (Ségou Region) and Bandiagara (Mopti Region) between January 29 and February 3, causing significant casualties among the pro-government militias.
Reports indicate the Dozo groups had earlier warned they were surrounded and requested support from the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), but no immediate response was provided.
JNIM has recently escalated its operations in central Mali, blockading key supply routes to Bamako and laying siege to villages linked to Dozo militias, in what analysts say is an effort to weaken state authority.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, has announced renewed plans to strengthen joint military operations against jihadist groups.