Niger: Three police officers killed in an attack in Maradi

Three Nigerien police officers lost their lives in an attack last Sunday by unidentified men, in Maradi region, South-West of the West African country, amid rising insecurity.

“During the night of October 30 to 31, the border post of Dabira, in the commune of Madarounfa was attacked by armed bandits”, the country’s state-run news agency announced Monday.

Two civilians were injured in the attack and admitted to the regional hospital, the agency added. The “bandits” left with weapons and ammunitions.

The post is located near the border with Nigeria. The attack is the first in Maradi, so far spared by assaults by armed men and bandits who have been sowing havoc on Diffa (South-East), Tahoua (North-West) and Tillaberi (West) regions.

Nigeria-based Boko Haram carries out sporadic attacks in Diffa while Tahoua and Tillaberi regions are theaters of attacks by terror groups operating in Mali.