Niger junta says a dozen soldiers killed in militant attack

Kemi Seba, a Franco-Beninese firebrand pro-Russia activist speaks to supporters of the junta that seized power in Niger in July, during a rally near the French military base, calling for the withdrawal of French forces in Niamey, Niger September 28,2023. REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou

NIAMEY (Reuters) -At least a dozen Niger soldiers were killed following an attack by hundreds of armed insurgents on motorbikes in the country's southwest on Thursday morning, the West African nation's defence ministry said in a statement.

Seven soldiers were killed in combat while five others died in an accident while driving to reinforce the unit that had come under attack, the statement said.