Niger’s army is struggling to contain the spread of armed groups
NIAMEY, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The president of Niger has paid tribute to the 71 soldiers who were killed on Tuesday in the country’s worst ever jihadist attack.
At a military airbase in the capital Niamey, Mahamadou Issoufou described the incident as a “dark day” and a “terrible ordeal” for the army.
On the ground were rows of body bags – each one covered by Niger’s orange, white and green flag.
Many relatives of the dead soldiers attended the ceremony, which comes three days after jihadists linked to the Daesh group attacked a military camp near the border with Mali.
Over the past four months at least 230 soldiers from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have been killed in jihadist attacks. — NNN-AGENCIES:
