On the evening of June 19, over 200 armed men, identified as mercenaries by the Nigerien Defense Ministry, launched a devastating attack on a military base in the western town of Banibangou, near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. The assault resulted in the tragic loss of at least 34 Nigerien soldiers, with an additional 14 injured. The ministry released a statement, read on state television, confirming the incident and reporting that Nigerien forces had neutralized “dozens of terrorists” during the ensuing battle. The town of Banibangou, known for its vulnerability to jihadist attacks from various Islamist groups, has been the target of numerous such incidents in the past. The Nigerien military has been under scrutiny for its inability to effectively counteract militant attacks, a justification for the military coup that ousted democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. The town lies in a region where West African neighbors Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali are collectively grappling with an insurgency from multiple jihadist groups. In recent years, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have formed an alliance to combat the jihadists and have scaled back their relationships with Western powers, opting instead for security partnerships with Russia and Turkey. Despite these efforts, the violence has persisted. The Nigerien Defense Ministry stated, “This Thursday, June 19, a cowardly and barbaric attack was carried out against the town of Banibangou by a horde of several hundred mercenaries aboard eight vehicles and more than 200 motorbikes.” The military is currently conducting search operations in the area to apprehend the attackers. The town of Banibangou, situated near the three-way border between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, has been a frequent target for jihadist groups. The Nigerien ruling junta has expelled French and US forces that had previously been heavily involved in the fight against jihadists. The West African region is currently grappling with an insurgency from various jihadist groups operating in the Sahel region. The three countries have formed an alliance to counteract the jihadists, but the violence has continued to escalate.