Niger mourns 71 soldiers slain by Islamic State insurgents

Niger’s government has declared three days of mourning following an attack that claimed 71 soldiers, which has been described as one of the deadliest attacks in years.

The Islamic State group, active in the troubled Sahel region, has claimed responsibility for an attack on a military camp.

The extremist group carried out the assault near the town of Inates not far from the border with Mali, it said in a statement late Thursday. Niger’s military has said that 12 others were wounded in the attack earlier this week.

The Islamic State group claimed its fighters held the camp for several hours and seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition. Its jihadists took 16 vehicles and set the camp on fire before leaving, it said.

Niger’s government has declared three days of mourning following the attack, which was the deadliest of its kind in years.

AP