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Landmine Kills 7 Soldiers in Niger

by Agence France-Presse

   Niamey, Niger --

   Seven soldiers were killed Sunday after their vehicle ran over a
   landmine in the Niger's western Tillaberi region, said the National
   Guard of Niger (GNN).

   Jihadist fighters regularly launch attacks in the region.

   A vehicle carrying supplies on a weekly delivery run hit the mine late
   in the morning 6 kilometers (4 miles) from Samira village, said the GNN
   in a statement.

   The village, which lies not far from Niger's border with Burkina Faso
   in the southwest, has since 2004 hosted the country's only
   industrial-scale gold mine.

   This assault was just the latest in a series of attacks against Niger's
   soldiers.

   The impoverished Sahel country is grappling with an insurgency by
   jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. In the
   southwest, they also have to contend with jihadist fighters from Boko
   Haram.

   It is supported by a number of Western countries, including France and
   the United States, who both have military bases there.