In the area of Mehana, terrorist elements perpetrated several heinous acts of violence against the defenseless civilians, with a heavy and tragic toll,” it said, citing 14 casualties on an unspecified date, which followed the death of at least one other civilian Tuesday in the same region.
Mehana was among six areas targeted in Niger’s Tillaberi region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso and has become a hideout for extremists affiliated with ISIL and al-Qaeda.
Civilians in Mehana are frequently targeted by the extremists, leading to massive displacement.
Also, in the Tillaberi region on Tuesday, one civilian was killed and three others wounded in a “violent clash” between an army reconnaissance unit and “terrorists” near the town of Chatoumane, the army said.
“The security forces reacted effectively, neutralizing several terrorists,” it said.
MP/PR