Niamey - Saba:
Ten soldiers were killed in two attacks carried out by armed men in western Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso.
Nigerian Defense Minister General Salfo Modi said on Saturday that the simultaneous attacks by armed men occurred in Boulundjunga and Samira in the Gutai region, near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso.
He noted that ten soldiers were killed and 15 others wounded in an exchange of fire between regular forces and the attackers, and that 41 armed men were neutralized.
It is worth noting that the Gutai region has been the scene of armed attacks for some time, while the town of Samira is home to the only industrial-scale gold mining company of its kind. Eight of its workers were killed last May when an explosive device planted on a road exploded as their vehicle passed.