1 day ago

Local and regional sources are circulating a contentious account of a military operation that took place at dawn on Friday in the Salvador Corridor, near the tri-border area between Niger, Libya, and Chad. The reports allege the involvement of regional parties in planning the attack, which, according to the same sources, resulted in human and material losses among the forces involved.

According to information reported by activist and media figure Abdou Bagowi, the Nigerien military commander stationed in Madama led a force of approximately fifteen military vehicles at around 6:00 a.m. in an assault targeting the forces of Mohamed Wardougou and elements of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT).

The circulating account indicates that the clashes involved the use of armed drones that struck three vehicles belonging to Wardougou’s forces, while a number of Nigerien military vehicles were damaged by landmine explosions during their advance through the area. According to the same sources, the confrontations resulted in the destruction of several vehicles and casualties on both sides, with no official tally confirmed as of yet.

Sources further add that the commanders on the Libyan and Chadian fronts were caught off guard by the attack, prompting them to contact the Chief of Staff of Niger’s Armed Forces, General Salou Barmo, to inquire about the circumstances behind the operation. According to the same account, General Barmo denied having issued any orders for an attack of this nature, raising questions about who made the decision to proceed.

In contrast, sources claim that the joint forces of Mohamed Wardougou and the FACT movement successfully repelled the assault and inflicted losses on the attacking force, including the destruction of seven military vehicles and the capture of twelve Nigerien soldiers, while a number of others withdrew from the battlefield.

These developments take on particular significance in light of circulating allegations that the operation was encouraged or backed by Saddam Haftar, son of Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar. They also come just one day after the announcement of a military cooperation agreement between Niamey and Tripoli — a timing that has led some observers to draw connections between the incident and the complex security and military balances in southern Libya and the surrounding border regions.

As of the time of this report, no official statements have been issued by the authorities of Niger, Libya, or Chad either confirming or denying the details of this account, nor is there independent evidence available to verify the sequence of events or the reported casualty figures.

Source: Abdou Bagowi

Madama (Northern Niger) — Hassan Youssef Zarma | Brown Land