Security forces in Niger have arrested at least 245 people suspected of being involved in terrorism. The arrests were part of efforts to tackle crime and insurgency, according to Niger’s authorities on Thursday.
The suspects were detained by the Central Service for the Fight against Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime, as reported by the Integrated Operations Coordination Center (IOCC).
Many of the suspects are believed to belong to armed groups that engage in kidnappings and other criminal activities near the Niger-Nigeria border, where Boko Haram operates. Others were arrested near the Mali-Niger border, an area where the JNIM group operates, as well as in the Agadez region, known for its gold mines. Some of the arrested individuals are from Algeria, Chad, and Somalia, according to Malijet.
The arrests coincide with the junta’s launch of two major military operations: Operation Almah in the Tillaberi region, located on the left bank of the Niger River, and Operation Garkoua in the Agadez region, aimed at rooting out criminals.
In addition to the arrests, security forces seized over 559 kilograms of drugs, 108,381 various tablets, and detained 139 traffickers. IOCC stated that these actions are part of a wider strategy to break up criminal networks in the area.
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