Indian killed, one abducted in Niger attack: embassy
Local sources said unidentified armed attackers ambushed a Nigerien army unit providing security at a construction site for an electrical line in the Dosso region, around 100 kilometers (63 miles) from the capital Niamey.
Urging Indian nationals in Niger to be 'vigilant,' India's embassy in Niamey said it was in contact with the employer and families of the victims as well as the Nigerian government to facilitate repatriation of the dead man's remains.
It said it was also working to secure the release of the person abducted in the attack, which took place Tuesday near the Nigerian border.
Local sources and social media posts suggested at least one Nigerien soldier was killed in the attack, which authorities had not yet commented on Friday.
Niger, under military rule following a 2023 coup, has faced around a decade of violence perpetrated by jihadists affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group.
The Dosso region borders both Nigeria and Benin, where attacks regularly target civilians, the army and also a giant oil pipeline transporting crude from Niger to Benin.
The authorities generally blame such attacks on 'terrorists' or 'bandits.'
Dosso borders the western town of Tillaberi near the borders with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has become a stronghold for militant groups.
According to official Indian sources, five Indian technicians were kidnapped in an April 25 attack just north of the nearby town of Sakoira.
Twelve Nigerien soldiers were killed in that attack.
Earlier this month, three Indian nationals working in Mali were kidnapped from a cement factory in the west of the country.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
At least 10 killed, 14 wounded in South Sudan cattle raid
At least 10 people have been killed and 14 wounded in a cattle raid in South Sudan, officials said Wednesday, weeks after the United Nations said cattle raids had killed hundreds since December. The impoverished nation, which gained independence in 2011, is once again seeing politically and ethnically driven violence even as it recovers from a civil war between 2013 and 2018. Clashes over access to resources and cattle rustling are frequent in the poverty-stricken east African nation, which also faces extreme droughts and floods. President Salva Kiir also recently declared a six-month emergency in Warrap State and Mayom County after a surge of violent inter-communal cattle raids. The attack on Tuesday evening by armed assailants in Central Equatoria State's Mangala area targeted herders who had transported some 5,000 cattle to a nearby market for sale. James Monday Enoka, spokesperson for the South Sudan police service, told AFP that 10 people were killed, including two security personnel deployed to guard the cattle, six civilians, and two attackers. Fourteen people were wounded, including five of the assailants, he said. 'The attackers ambushed the security forces guarding the traders and made away with an unknown number of cattle, though early estimates suggest more than 3,000 were stolen,' he said. The incident sparked condemnation and fears of renewed inter-communal tensions. Enoka said preliminary investigations suggested the attackers may have been armed youth from neighbouring Bor County of Jonglei State. The police said the assailants claimed the cows were stolen from them, and were now being sold by the traders. Gola Boyoi Gola, Chief Administrator of the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, condemned the attack. Such incidents impacted trade, discouraging those who had chosen to peacefully work rather than cattle raiding, he said. Authorities said the situation was now under control, with officers pursuing the attackers and cattle. In June, the United Nations said cattle raids and revenge attacks had killed hundreds in escalating intercommunal violence since December.
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan blames ‘Indian-sponsored terrorists' for attack killing 3 paramilitary forces personnel
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday blamed 'Indian-sponsored terrorists' for an attack targeting the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary (FC) force in northwestern Pakistan that killed three personnel, state media said. According to the state-owned broadcaster Pakistan Television News, FC's Lance Naik Mehmood Shah, sepoys Shahid and Rauf were killed when militants attacked their vehicle in Pakistan's northwestern Karak city on Wednesday. The driver of their vehicle, Shahpur, was also killed in the attack. Local news channel Geo News quoted Karak District Police Officer Shehbaz Elahi as saying that the FC personnel were targeted while carrying out routine patrolling duties in Karak's Garagri area. 'Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has strongly condemned the terrorist attack by Indian-sponsored terrorists on a vehicle carrying FC personnel in Karak,' PTV News reported. Naqvi extended condolences to the families of the FC personnel and the driver killed, saluting their sacrifices for the nation. 'Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that the sacrifices of these martyrs further strengthen our resolve in the fight against terrorism,' PTV News said. Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in violence in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province since a fragile truce between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the state broke down in November 2022. Pakistan's security forces have been battling TTP fighters in KP, especially its tribal areas, which border Afghanistan. Islamabad has repeatedly blamed Kabul for not taking action against TTP and other militant groups that it alleges operate from sanctuaries on Afghan soil. Kabul denies the allegations. Islamabad also blames New Delhi for arming and training the TTP and insurgents in Balochistan, alleging they carry out subversive activities in Pakistan. India rejects the allegations and accuses Pakistan of exporting 'terrorists' across the border into its country.
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
Jordanian army foils infiltration attempt on northern border
DUBAI: The Jordanian Armed Forces thwarted an attempt by an individual to illegally cross the country's northern border, state news agency Petra reported on Wednesday. The suspect was apprehended and referred to the relevant authorities. The incident follows similar infiltration attempts last week on both the eastern and northern borders of the country.
