Several Niger soldiers killed in fighting near Mali: ministry

Several soldiers in Niger's army were killed on Wednesday in fighting with "heavily armed" men near the Malian border, an area plagued by jihadist violence, according to the west African country's defence ministry.

While the ministry did not give an exact toll, it specified that the fighters were "mercenaries" — a term used by the junta-run nation's authorities to refer to jihadists. 

Around 6:30 am, soldiers attempting to intercept stolen livestock "made contact with a significant column of heavily armed mercenaries on motorbikes" near Fartel in the western Tillaberi region, according to a defence ministry statement read out on state television Wednesday evening. 

"Several of our valiant soldiers unfortunately lost their lives while others were wounded in the line of duty," the ministry added.

"After suffering several losses, the enemy was forced to disengage and retreat northward, taking several of their dead with them."

Western Niger is among the areas where the Islamic State group's branch in the Sahel region exerts influence. 

Since taking power following a coup in 2023, the junta has struggled to keep a lid on the country's long-running jihadist conflict, which has killed thousands over the past decade. 

In late August, the military-run government had to quell a mutiny with the help of allied Russian mercenaries, following fierce clashes at several strategic sites in the capital Niamey.