Burkinabe Defense Minister Kassoum Coulibaly told Sputnik Africa that the recent deadly clash in Niger near the border with Burkina Faso that left 17 soldiers dead was a terrorist attack.
On Wednesday, media reported that 17 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush near the border with Burkina Faso.
"Niger's top leadership is addressing the issue of counterterrorism. Such cases speak to the influence of terrorist groups that attack defense forces [and] villagers to affect both their morale and their lives," Coulibaly said.
Burkina Faso has grown used to such incidents, which often occur between the country's armed forces and terrorists, the minister added.
"We always try to respond to the best of our ability. They are often in areas where we do not expect them or where there are not many of us, but we try to fight. God willing, we have the necessary means to defeat these terrorists," Coulibaly said.
A coup took place in Niger on July 26. President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. Following the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country.
In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum. On Friday, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs Abdel-Fatau Musah said that ECOWAS general staff chiefs had agreed on a date for the beginning of military intervention, but would not make it public.