June 2025 Banibangou attack

The June 2025 Banibangou attack was a terrorist assault on a Nigerien army base on 19 June 2025. The attack occurred in the tri-border region of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.^[1][2][3] Several hundred militants on over 200 motorbikes and eight vehicles attacked, killing at least 34 soldiers and wounding 14.^[1][2][3] Nigerien forces reportedly killed dozens of attackers.^[1][3] The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement released the following day.^[2]

Attack

On the morning of 19 June 2025, at approximately 09:00 local time, several hundred armed men launched a coordinated attack on a Nigerien army base in the western town of Banibangou, near the border with Mali. The assailants, described by Niger's Ministry of Defence as "mercenaries", arrived on more than 200 motorbikes and in eight vehicles, overwhelming the military outpost in what was characterized as a "cowardly and barbaric" assault.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

According to official sources, the attackers killed at least 34 Nigerien soldiers and wounded 14 others. In response, Nigerien forces engaged the attackers and reportedly killed "dozens of terrorists" during the ensuing battle.^[1][2][3][4] Following the attack, reinforcements were deployed, and search operations were conducted by both air and ground to pursue the retreating assailants.^[2][3][4]

Responsibility

Islamic State later claimed responsibility for the attack via a statement on its Telegram channel.^[2] The Banibangou area, situated near the tri-border region of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, has long been a hotspot for jihadist violence involving groups linked to both Islamic State and al-Qaeda.^[1][3][4][6]