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The convoy, which included 4 Toyotas mounted with machine weapons, was leaving the a gold mining web site when it was hit. Armed teams and individuals who come to steal gold frequent the world, based on native residents.
Three of the wounded troopers had been evacuated to Niger’s capital, Niamey, and army reinforcements have been despatched to the world, Issa mentioned.
Niger has been battling a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that’s killed 1000’s. Whereas assaults by jihadi teams within the Agadez area have been uncommon lately, analysts mentioned the insurgency couldn’t be dominated out in Sunday’s assault.
“Concurrently, armed banditry is frequent towards civilian touring automobiles, retailers, and gold prospectors within the space, however often armed bandits don’t goal state safety forces because it occurred on this incident,” mentioned Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow on the Coverage Middle for the New South, a Morocco-based assume tank.
“Tough to say at this stage who’s accountable. If jihadists are, they’ll more than likely problem an official declare,” he mentioned.
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