First jihad attack in Niger since coup; 17 soldiers dead

Islamic insurgents attacked a detachment of the Nigerien junta’s military while the detachment traveled between villages in the western region of Tillaberi. Jihadis killed 17 soldiers and wounded another 24. It marks the first major attack on the Nigerien junta since the military took power three weeks ago.

Has no one else attacked the junta yet? The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, planned to meet Thursday to discuss military intervention in Niger, aiming to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. While many have discussed using military force to end the coup, none have acted on it. The United States, Russia, Nigeria, and other countries have said they hope to end the coup peacefully. ECOWAS said a “standby force” is ready if the West African bloc decides to reinstate constitutional order through military force.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on the recurring presence of the Taliban in the Middle East.