NigerKey figures
Who is fighting
Government of Niger (National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland)
- Nigerien Armed Forces
- National Guard
- Domol Leydi self-defence groups
- Russia's Africa Corps (c. 200 troops in Niamey)
- Alliance of Sahel States partners
- Russia
- Turkey (drones)
- Algeria (fighter jets during the August 2026 coup attempt)
- United States (renewed cooperation, 2026)
Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP / ex-ISGS) and ISWAP
- Islamic State Sahel Province (Tillabéri, Tahoua)
- ISWAP (Diffa)
- Lakurawa (western Niger/Nigeria border)
- Islamic State
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Boko Haram
- JNIM (western Niger)
- Boko Haram / JAS (Diffa, Lake Chad)
- Al-Qaeda
Force sizes are estimates of personnel or fighters, usually from IISS, government statements or specialist reporting; irregular forces are especially hard to count. "(reported)" marks external support that the backer disputes or has not confirmed.
Background
Niger has faced Boko Haram in the south-east since 2015 and, from 2017, the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (now Islamic State Sahel Province) and JNIM in the Mali-Burkina border region. Massacres of villagers (Tchoma Bangou 2021, Fambita mosque and Manda in 2025) and attacks on army posts (Inates 2019, Tillia 2025) have killed hundreds at a time. The July 2023 coup ended French and US military presence; Niger joined the Alliance of Sahel States, hosted Russia's Africa Corps and created state-backed 'Domol Leydi' self-defence groups.
In 2026 the war intensified. IS Sahel attacked Niamey's airport on 29 January (20 militants and, per some reports, up to 24 soldiers and 3 Russians killed), overran Makalondi (JNIM, 4 February, 36 soldiers), carried out nine attacks in March, destroyed an engineer camp at Garbougna (JNIM, 14 May, 67 dead) and camps at In-Ates and Banibangou (IS Sahel, 17 June, 51 soldiers and 12 civilians), and assaulted the airport again (JNIM, 18 June). JNIM and IS Sahel also fight each other, including a clash at Pétél Kolé in April. On 28-29 August mutinous soldiers attacked the presidency, airport and state broadcaster; loyalists backed by about 200 Africa Corps troops with drones retook Air Base 101 and Algeria sent fighter jets. Death tolls range from three presidential guards (official) to at least 27. Tiani replaced his chief of staff on 11 September.
Recent developments
- 3 October 2026Algeria's president confirms sending fighter jets to Niamey to help thwart the August coup attempt. source ↗
- 11 September 2026New army chief of staff appointed following the mutiny. source ↗
- 29 August 2026Mutinous soldiers calling themselves the Armed Forces for the Restoration of the Fatherland attack the presidency, airport and state TV; the junta regains control with Russian air and ground support. source ↗
- 31 July 2026Boko Haram ambush near N'Guigmi, Diffa, kills 10 soldiers and 4 national guards. source ↗
- 30 June 2026JNIM launches coordinated assaults on Makalondi, Torodi and Diagourou; all repelled except Diagourou. source ↗
- 18 June 2026JNIM claims the attack on Niamey's airport that killed at least 11 soldiers and two civilians. source ↗
- 17 June 2026IS Sahel overruns military positions at In-Ates and Banibangou, inflicting heavy losses and seizing equipment. source ↗
Timeline
- 6 February 2015Boko Haram attacks Bosso and Diffa, opening the war in Niger's south-east.
- 4 October 2017Tongo Tongo ambush kills four US and five Nigerien soldiers.
- 10 December 2019Islamic State attack on the Inates base kills 71 soldiers.
- 2 January 2021Massacres at Tchoma Bangou and Zaroumdareye kill about 100 villagers.
- 26 July 2023Coup overthrows President Bazoum; French and US forces are expelled within a year.
- 20 June 2025IS Sahel massacre at Manda kills 71 civilians; Fambita mosque attack killed 44 in March.
- 29 January 2026IS Sahel attacks Diori Hamani airport in Niamey; Russian forces help repel it.
- 4 February 2026JNIM overruns the army position at Makalondi, killing at least 36 soldiers.
- 14 May 2026JNIM destroys an engineer camp at Garbougna, Tillabéri; 67 killed including civilians.
- 17 June 2026IS Sahel overruns camps at In-Ates and Banibangou; at least 51 soldiers and 12 civilians killed.
- 18 June 2026JNIM attacks Niamey airport: 11 soldiers, 2 civilians and 22 attackers killed.
- 29 August 2026Coup attempt by mutinous special forces fails after Africa Corps and loyalists retake Air Base 101; Algeria sends jets.
- 11 September 2026Tiani replaces chief of staff Moussa Salaou Barmou with Mamane Sani Kiaou.
Casualties and displacement in detail
| Measure | Low | High | What the figure covers · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total killed (cumulative) | 7,000 | – | '7,000+ deaths' since 2015 per UCDP as compiled on Wikipedia; ACLED-based counts are higher. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Combatants killed | 300 | – | Documented 2026 security-force deaths only: up to 24 at Niamey airport (Jan), 36 Makalondi (Feb), 35+ in March ISSP attacks, ~60 soldiers at Garbougna (May), 51 Inates (June), 11 Niamey airport (June), 14 N'Guigmi (July), plus coup-attempt deaths. Government figures are often withheld. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Civilians killed | 1,200 | – | ACLED: more than 1,200 civilian fatalities from attacks in Tillabéri region in 2025 alone; 2026 incidents include 31 executed at Bossiye (18 January) and 12 at Inates (17 June). acleddata.com ↗ |
| Wounded | – | – | Not recorded. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Deaths in the last 12 months | 400 | – | Sum of the largest documented incidents from January to September 2026 (see intensityNote); the true toll including unreported rural attacks and militant deaths is considerably higher. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Internally displaced | – | – | UNHCR counts several hundred thousand IDPs in Tillabéri, Tahoua and Diffa; no current figure retrieved (an outdated 2021 figure of ~30,000 appears in compilations). en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
| Refugees abroad | – | – | Not retrieved; Niger also hosts Malian and Nigerian refugees. en.wikipedia.org ↗ |
Intensity classification: Documented 2026 incidents alone exceed 400 deaths (Gorouol/Bossiye 31+4, Niamey airport ~47, Makalondi 36, Anzourou 26, nine ISSP attacks in March 35+, Pétél Kolé 35, Garbougna 67, Inates 63, Niamey airport 35, N'Guigmi 14, coup attempt 3-27). ACLED counted more than 1,200 civilian fatalities in Tillabéri region in 2025, the highest in the central Sahel, and over 10,000 deaths across the three Sahel countries in January-November 2025..
Countries affected
Frequently asked questions
Who is fighting in the Niger jihadist insurgency (Islamic State Sahel, JNIM and Boko Haram vs the junta)?
Government of Niger (National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland) (Nigerien Armed Forces, National Guard, Domol Leydi self-defence groups, Russia's Africa Corps (c. 200 troops in Niamey), …), supported by Russia, Turkey (drones), Algeria (fighter jets during the August 2026 coup attempt), United States (renewed cooperation, 2026); against Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP / ex-ISGS) and ISWAP (Islamic State Sahel Province (Tillabéri, Tahoua), ISWAP (Diffa), Lakurawa (western Niger/Nigeria border)), supported by Islamic State; against Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and Boko Haram (JNIM (western Niger), Boko Haram / JAS (Diffa, Lake Chad)), supported by Al-Qaeda.
How many people have been killed?
Estimates range from 7,000+ killed as of 11 September 2026. '7,000+ deaths' since 2015 per UCDP as compiled on Wikipedia; ACLED-based counts are higher. Civilian deaths are put at 1,200+. Figures come from the sources listed on this page and differ in method; see the caveats above.
Is the Niger jihadist insurgency (Islamic State Sahel, JNIM and Boko Haram vs the junta) still ongoing in 2026?
Status as of 19 October 2026: Active fighting — Western Niger's Tillabéri region is the main battleground of the rivalry between the Islamic State Sahel Province and JNIM, both of which overran army camps and twice attacked Niamey's international airport in 2026, while Boko Haram and ISWAP strike in Diffa. Mounting military losses fed a mutiny by special forces that became a failed coup against Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani on 28-29 August 2026, put down with Russian Africa Corps support; the junta has since replaced its army chief and accused France, Benin and Chad of involvement.
When did it start?
The current phase began on 6 February 2015, but the underlying conflict dates back to 2012 — 11 years, 8 months ago.
Sources
- ACLED — Africa Overview July 2026 (Niger) acleddata.com
- ACLED — Africa Overview January 2026 (Tillabéri 2025 fatalities) acleddata.com
- Al Jazeera Centre for Studies — Niger coup: survival of the military regime studies.aljazeera.net
- Critical Threats — Africa File, 3 September 2026 criticalthreats.org
- Wikipedia — 2026 Nigerien coup attempt en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — Jihadist insurgency in Niger en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia — 2026 in Niger en.wikipedia.org
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