The Defense Ministry informed that the operations took place in the so-called zone of the three borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.

The military deployment in this region increased after a group of inmates escaped from the high-security prison in Koutoukale, about 40 kilometers from the capital, last week.

The prison held high-ranking members of several Islamist groups, several former military officers involved in coup attempts, and senior officials close to deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.

The Tillaberi region, in northwest Niger, has been marked by frequent fighting between the army and Islamist groups and is home to branches of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in the Sahel.

ef/iff/mem/fvt