The Nigerien army has carried out a series of airstrikes targeting illegal gold mining sites in the Tagouey region, near the country’s western border with Burkina Faso. The operation aims to disrupt financial channels used by armed groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
According to an official statement released last week, the strikes killed 13 militants, seized materials suspected to be used in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, and destroyed infrastructure linked to illicit mining activities.
These operations are part of a broader security campaign led by the Nigerien authorities to counter the growing influence of extremist groups in the western and southern border regions. The violence in recent years has claimed thousands of civilian lives and forced large-scale displacement.
UN estimates for 2024 indicate that approximately 4.5 million people — around 17% of Niger’s population — are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, amid worsening economic and security conditions exacerbated by armed conflict.
In a related incident in May, armed groups attacked a bus transporting employees of Ingoufo Mining, which operates the Samira Hill gold mine southwest of Niamey. The ambush, which occurred despite a military escort, left eight people dead
