According to the media report, the "two brotherly countries" have deployed warplanes to respond to any aggression against Niger, while not specifying the exact location of the aircraft.
The general staff officers of the three countries, namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, met in Niger's capital, Niamey, against the background of the deployment, the report said.
A coup took place in Niger on July 26. Nigerien 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.
Against this backdrop, the Burkina Faso and Mali transitional governments said in a joint statement that any military intervention against Niger would mean a declaration of war against them.
The two West African nations sent a delegation to Niger to demonstrate their solidarity with the country's military leaders. Following the with the Nigerien leadership, the delegation reiterated the decision of Mali and Burkina Faso to "participate fully in self-defense operations" of the Nigerien forces in the event of an intervention.