Niger: Car bomb explodes outside military base in Agando December 9

Event

Unidentified militants detonated a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) outside of a Nigerien military camp in Agando, near Tillia (Tahoua region), on Monday, December 9. According to military sources, soldiers prevented the SVBIED from breaching the perimeter of the camp. Armed militants attempted to storm the position but were successfully repelled. The soldiers launched search operations to prevent the attackers from escaping the area following the failed assault. At least one soldier was killed and five others were wounded in the fighting. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

Similar militant operations are possible in the region over the near term.

Context

Officials placed the Tillabéry and Tahoua regions under a state of emergency in March 2017 due to an increase in attacks targeting refugee camps and security forces.

Niger faces a high threat from terrorism, including armed attacks and abductions. Militant Islamist cells from various Nigerian and Malian terrorist groups - including Boko Haram, Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), and Al-Mourabitoun - are all active in the country.

Advice

Individuals throughout Niger should exercise vigilance when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted by an attack (e.g. government buildings, prominent hotels, etc.) and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities. Many Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to areas located in the north and west of the country, including areas along the border with Burkina Faso, as well as areas along the Nigerian border to the south, due to the high risk of terrorist activity.