Suspected Mali-Based Militants Raid Village in Tillaberi Region
Category: Instability
Severity: 2 (Low)
Source: Drum Cussac
10/15/2017 (Niger) - Local media reports on Saturday, 14 October, indicate that suspected Mali-based militants have raided a village in the Tillaberi region. At least one person is reported to have been injured in the incident in the village of Kolomane during which the attackers looted market stalls before returning to the border area with Mali. Security forces reportedly responded by launching a search operation in the area and recovered six motorcycles believed to have been used by the raiders. However, the attackers have not been found and no looted items or weapons have yet been recovered. In early March the government announced the imposition of a state of emergency in areas of the Tillaberi and Tahoua regions following a number of cross-border attacks believed to have been carried out by Mali-based militants. The state of emergency covers the Ouallam, Ayorou, Bankilare, Abala and Banibangou areas in the Tillaberi region and the Tassara and Tilia districts of Tahoua. The imposition of the state of emergency followed the killing of 16 soldiers in a militant attack on a security outpost in the Ouallam are on 23 February. Previous cross-border attacks in 2016 targeted refugee camps housing displaced Malian nationals in the border regions, including one in October in which 22 security forces personnel were killed.
Those in the Tillaberi region are advised to monitor local media sources for further updates on the incident and any associated security operations in the region. Travellers should exercise a heightened level of vigilance in areas covered by the state of emergency which may be at higher risk from cross-border militant attacks and are advised to heed any directives issued by security forces and local authorities. Any suspicious activity should be immediately reported to security forces.
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