Niger: Militants kill three police officers, injure seven others in attack on border post at Petelkole, Tillaberi Region, Oct. 18

Event

Militants launched an attack against a border post at Petelkole in Niger's Tillaberi Region on Oct. 18. According to preliminary information, the assailants killed at least three police officers and wounded seven others in the attack; they also reportedly destroyed three vehicles and stole an unspecified number of weapons. Petelkole is located along Niger's border with Burkina Faso, about 192 km (120 miles) northwest of Niamey.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

The raid underscores the pervasive insecurity affecting much of Niger. Armed bandits and militants regularly operate across the southern part of the country, particularly around Lake Chad and in the tri-border region where the borders of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso meet. Militants have killed dozens of people in attacks in Tillaberi Region in recent months. Similar militant attacks remain possible in the tri-border region over the medium term.