Terrorists attack military base in Niger, kill soldier, abduct civilians

Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched a deadly attack on a military base in Chetima Wango, located in Niger’s Diffa region, early Monday morning, killing one soldier and leaving seven others wounded.

According to  Zagazola Makama, a counterterrorism expert in Lake Chad, three soldiers remain missing following the assault on the Nigerien Defense and Security Forces (FDS).

The attackers believed to be heavily armed, targeted the military position in what appears to be part of their ongoing campaign against security forces in the region. According to him, in a separate incident within the same area, armed assailants abducted multiple civilians from the village of Loumbouram.

He added that the exact number of kidnapped individuals is yet to be confirmed. The Diffa region, which shares a border with Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin, has been a frequent target of ISWAP attacks in recent months.

The insurgent group continues to launch assaults on military installations, villages, and local security forces, further destabilizing the already volatile region. Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the latest attacks, but security operations are expected to intensify in response to the growing threat.