Author: Gist Correspondent

At least 36 soldiers of the Nigerien Armed Forces were killed on February 4 in a coordinated jihadist assault on Makalondi, a border town between Niger and Burkina Faso, security sources have confirmed.

The attack, attributed to fighters linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), reportedly occurred around 6:30 p.m. in Niger’s volatile Tillabéri region. Preliminary accounts indicate that the assailants overran a military base, killing dozens of troops and leaving several others injured, some in critical condition.

Sources said the attackers made away with at least 12 military vehicles fitted with heavy machine guns, in addition to weapons, ammunition and personal belongings. One of the seized vehicles was later found destroyed a few kilometres from the scene of the attack.

Following the incident, Niger’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Salifou Mody Barmou, visited Makalondi on February 5 to assess the extent of the casualties and material losses, highlighting the seriousness of the assault.

In a separate but related incident, suspected Islamic State Sahel/ISWAP fighters attacked a Customs post in Kouré, Dosso Region, in the early hours of February 6. The assault, which occurred around 2:00 a.m., left one Customs lieutenant and a Forest Service sergeant missing, while two Customs informants were confirmed killed.

Security sources disclosed that one Customs vehicle was set ablaze, another was taken away by the attackers, and several motorcycles were destroyed during the raid.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Mali, JNIM fighters also carried out coordinated attacks on Dozo militia positions in Nayo, Ségou Region, and Bandiagara in Mopti Region between January 29 and February 3, inflicting heavy losses on the pro-government militias.

Reports indicated that the Dozo groups had earlier warned they were under siege and appealed for intervention by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa), but no timely response was forthcoming.

JNIM has in recent weeks intensified its campaign across central Mali, reportedly blockading key supply routes leading to Bamako and laying siege to villages associated with Dozo militias, a strategy analysts say is aimed at undermining state authority and forcing political concessions.

In response to the worsening security situation, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso—has announced renewed commitment to counter-terrorism efforts through a joint military force, even as international partners express growing concern over escalating violence in the Sahel.