In West African Niger, more than 70 people were killed in an attack on a military camp. In addition, according to an army statement read on national television, 57 attackers were killed.
The incident occurred in Inates in the west of the country. Gunmen attacked the camp when soldiers prepared for evening prayers, a local military spokesman said.
There are varying numbers of deaths: The dpa news agency reported 72 dead and Reuters 71. Both refer to spokesmen for the army.
In July, the camp was already the target of a similar attack. At that time, the West African branch of the "Islamic State" (ISWAP) had claimed the attack on armed forces with 18 dead soldiers. After the new attack on this Tuesday evening, the Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou broke off a trip to Egypt.
Several Islamist terrorist groups are active in Niger, neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. Some of them have sworn allegiance to al Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS). In Mali, a UN mission seeks stability. Up to 1,100 Bundeswehr soldiers take part in the mission.