The militants carried out the attacks in separate regions as the junta government continues to battle a decade-long insurgency in the country.

A series of ambushes and explosions across military-controlled Niger have resulted in the deaths of at least 12 soldiers and left 30 others wounded, the army announced Wednesday on state television.

The first attack occurred on Sunday in the western Tillaberi region, where "a horde of criminals who arrived in their hundreds" attacked, killing five soldiers and wounding 25 others, according to the army. A combined ground and air response resulted in the deaths of "more than 100 terrorists," although the army did not provide further details about the attackers.

The following day, in the southwest Diffa region, where Boko Haram and the West African branch of the Islamic State group frequently operate, five patrolling soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device. In response, the army conducted a "surgical strike" that "killed several terrorists" involved in the attack.

Another incident occurred on Tuesday when militants from a newly formed resistance group, the Patriotic Movement for Freedom and Justice (MPLJ), launched an attack on a military outpost in the northern Agadez region. The army reported that two soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in the assault. The army also stated that a pursuit operation was underway to track the attackers, who were reportedly fleeing toward the Libyan border. The MPLJ claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had killed 14 soldiers and two gendarmes, while suffering two casualties on their side.

The MPLJ, formed in August, is an offshoot of the Patriotic Liberation Front (FPL), a group fighting the military junta for the release of Niger's ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum. Bazoum, who was democratically elected, was overthrown in a coup in July 2023 and has been held at the presidential palace since.

While the military took power, citing a worsening security situation, the violence in Niger has continued. According to the independent Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, about 1,500 civilians and soldiers have been killed in jihadist attacks in Niger over the past year, compared to 650 deaths between July 2022 and 2023 when Bazoum was in power.