Suspected jihadists killed nine people in a raid on three villages in a Niger region bordering insurgency-hit Mali and Burkina Faso, the defense ministry said.
Sunday’s attack hit the villages of Cabia, Wanbila, and Loudji in the Tillaberi region, the ministry said in a statement, adding that the attackers had made off with cattle.
“Several dozen terrorists were killed,” and a large amount of the attackers’ equipment was destroyed in a counter-attack, the ministry said.
Niger has since July been governed by a military regime following a coup.
On December 17, military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani said the country was “progressively normalizing” the security situation, crediting “multiple successes” by the army in quelling unrest.
Tillaberi borders Burkina Faso and Mali — also ruled by military leaders — in a region prone to jihadist attacks.
Groups linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State have been operating in Tillaberi since 2017. The region is under a state of emergency.
In January, 22 civilians were killed in an attack on the Tillaberi village of Motogatta, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the capital Niamey.