Niger: Attack on national police camp in Ayorou (Tillabéri region) May 11

Event

Unidentified assailants reportedly attacked a national police camp located in Ayorou (Tillabéri region) at approximately 17:00 (local time) on Thursday, May 11. No casualties were reported but the assailants allegedly stole five military vehicles as well as weapons and ammunition, before fleeing towards northern Mali. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Context

The regions of Tillabéri and Tahoua have become increasingly unstable, with attacks regularly targeting army positions and refugee camps. These incidents are generally attributed to Malian jihadist groups linked in particular to the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). On March 6, seven soldiers were killed and four others injured in an attack on a police checkpoint in Wanzarbe (Tillabéri region).  On March 3, the government declared a state of emergency in several departments of the western regions of Tillabéri and Tahoua.

Advice

Visitors throughout the country should be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (government installations, prominent hotels, etc.) and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities.

Many Western governments advise their citizens against travel to areas located in the north and west of the country, as well as areas along the Nigerian border, due to a high risk of terrorist activity.