List of terrorist incidents in Niger
 | It has been suggested that Lake Chad attack, 2015 Niger raid and 2024 Tillabéri attack be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2024. |
This is a list of incidents in Niger that are considered terrorism.
Background
[edit]Niger became one of the main allies of the United States in the African theater of the war on terror. It joined the Pan Sahel Initiative in 2003 and the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative in 2007.[1]
Islamist terrorism is common in Niger, but it has historically targeted the government and Westerners instead of Nigerien civilians. The number of incidents spiked multiple times in the 1990s and late 2000s. A significant increase took place in 2014 and 2015, with over 40 incidents taking place in 2015.[2]
Incidents
[edit]- 19 September 1989 – UTA Flight 772 was blown up over Niger, killing all 156 passengers and 14 crew members. The plane, traveling from Brazzaville to Paris, was destroyed during its flight and crashed in the Sahara Desert. The French air force confirmed that there were no survivors two days later. Six Libyans were tried in absentia for the attack by a French court in 1999 and found guilty.[3]
- 23 May 2013 – Agadez attack
- 23 May 2013 – Arlit attack
- 14 February 2014 – Lake Chad attack
- 6 February 2015 – 2015 Niger raid
- 4 October 2017 – A force of 40 to 50 militants on motorcycles attacked a group of 12 American soldiers on patrol in Tongo Tongo. The United States described the attack as the consequence of an "intelligence failure" and opened an investigation.[4] The incident increased public awareness of the U.S. Armed Forces' presence in Africa.[5] Four Americans were killed and two more were injured. 21 of the militants were killed. The United States accused the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara of being behind the attack.[6]
- 21 October 2017 – 2017 Ayorou attack
- 10 December 2019 – Battle of Inates
- 9 January 2020 – Battle of Chinagodrar
- 9 May 2020 – May 2020 Tillabéri massacres
- 9 August 2020 – Kouré shooting
- 21 March 2021 – 2021 Tahoua attacks
- 2 November 2021 – 2021 Adab-Dab attack
- 2 October 2023 – 2023 Tabatol attack
- 21 March 2024 – 2024 Tillabéri attack
References
[edit]- ^ Elischer, Sebastian; Mueller, Lisa (2019-04-01). "Niger falls back off track". African Affairs. 118 (471): 392–393. doi:10.1093/afraf/ady066. ISSN 0001-9909.
- ^ Elischer, Sebastian; Mueller, Lisa (2019-04-01). "Niger falls back off track". African Affairs. 118 (471): 400. doi:10.1093/afraf/ady066. ISSN 0001-9909.
- ^ "The Sahara memorial seen from space". BBC News. 2014-01-22.
- ^ Dilanian, Ken; Kube, Courtney (2017-10-21). "Niger attack came after 'massive intelligence failure,' source says". NBC News.
- ^ Swick, Andrew (2017-10-26). "Why were US soldiers even in Niger? America's shadow wars in Africa, explained". Vox.
- ^ "New details from Niger ambush: when US troops sensed something wrong". ABC News. 2017-10-20.