AT LEAST 16 soldiers were killed in Niger over the weekend following a suspected jihadist attack in the western Tahoua Region near the border with Mali.

The ambush occurred near the Aganda area, where more than 200 civilians were killed in an attack carried out in March by unknown assailants.

The ActuNiger website reported that the armed men stole three army vehicles after the attack in which six more soldiers were injured and one remains missing.