Icon: enlarge
Soldiers of the Army of Niger (archive image)
Photo: ISSOUF SANOGO / AFP
A serious attack occurred in the terrorist West African country Niger.
There are contradicting information on the number of victims: The German Press Agency (dpa) quotes Interior Minister Alkache Alhada, who speaks of 56 dead and 20 injured.
According to Reuters, at least 70 people were killed in the attack.
The agency refers to safety circles.
According to Alhada, the attack occurred near the border with Mali in the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye.
The exact circumstances of the attack are still unclear.
On the same day, the preliminary results of the presidential and parliamentary elections were announced in Niger.
Head of state Mahamadou Issoufou will, as provided for by the constitution, resign after his two terms in office.
An ally of the outgoing president, former Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum, stood for the ruling party PNDS and received 39.6 percent of the vote.
Hundreds of deaths from Islamist terror
A number of terrorist groups are active in the country, which is considered one of the most important transit countries for African migrants.
Many of them have sworn allegiance to al Qaeda or the so-called "Islamic State" (IS).
Hundreds of people died last year in attacks in the border regions in the west, to Mali and Burkina Faso, and in the south to Nigeria.
Icon: The mirror
bah / dpa / Reuters