Gunmen who were heavily armed raided a village and killed five soldiers in Niger near the border with Mali early on Tuesday
According to the interior ministry, riding motor bikes and other vehicles, the gunmen attacked amid signs of a growing Islamist insurgency in the region.
The attackers entered Banigabou, about 20 km (12 miles) from the frontier before dawn – gunshots rang out for two hours, said residents.
Two assailants were killed and 26 others in possession of weapons and ammunition were arrested, the ministry said.
The statement did not say anything about who was behind the attack and government spokesman Assamana Malam Issa said he could not speculate about their identity.
“The toll is five dead, four injured in the national guard, two dead among the attackers and 26 people who had infiltrated the village arrested with arms and munitions,” said the interior ministry statement.
Last month, gunmen killed 22 soldiers guarding a camp in western Niger housing Malian refugees. In a separate incident later in the month, gunmen abducted an American aid worker in Niger and fled with him toward Mali.