Niger’s Defense and Security Forces have arrested a dozen individuals described as “active accomplices of terrorists” and seized a significant cache of weapons and supplies during a series of operations conducted between Sunday and Wednesday, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.
Among the arrested suspects, three are believed to have played a role in the recent sabotage of a pipeline designed to export Nigerien crude oil in Mountséka, located in the Tahoua region in western Niger.
The operations also uncovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the Samira gold plant in Gothèye, Tillabéry region.
Additional seizures included a stolen cow, 7 million CFA francs (approximately $11,000), and a canoe loaded with logistical equipment discovered in separate incidents across the regions of Tillabéry and Dosso.
Niger continues to grapple with the spread of violence in its border regions, exacerbated by the activities of terrorist organisations and armed groups.
The fallout from the 2011 collapse of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in Libya has contributed to the rise of militants and bandits controlling parts of southern Libya.
In addition, groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, and other extremist movements based in northern Mali have expanded their influence in Niger’s western regions.
Further compounding the security crisis, Boko Haram, a Nigeria-based terrorist organisation, has been terrorising communities in the southeastern Diffa region since 2009.
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