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Niger Says 17 of its Soldiers Killed in Ambush Near Burkina Faso Border 

Nigerien soldiers are seen in Niamey during pro-coup rallies. (AFP file photo)
Nigerien soldiers are seen in Niamey during pro-coup rallies. (AFP file photo)
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Niger Says 17 of its Soldiers Killed in Ambush Near Burkina Faso Border 

Nigerien soldiers are seen in Niamey during pro-coup rallies. (AFP file photo)
Nigerien soldiers are seen in Niamey during pro-coup rallies. (AFP file photo)

Niger's defense ministry said that 17 of its soldiers had been killed in an ambush on Tuesday in a southwest region bordering Burkina Faso.

Attacks in Niger have been falling since 2021 but security remains a major problem, especially in the southwest near the border with neighboring Mali.

On the Malian side, the departure of French troops last year left a security vacuum that groups linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda have expanded into.

A detachment of Niger's army was attacked in an ambush next to Torodi commune, the defense ministry said in a statement. It added that more than a hundred "terrorists" were neutralized.

"The swift reaction of the soldiers and the air-land response at the scene of the skirmish enabled the enemy to be dealt with," the statement said.

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Seven EU Countries Call on Venezuela to Publish Electoral Rolls Quickly

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attend a demonstration called by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over the presidential election disputed results, in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (AFP)
Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attend a demonstration called by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over the presidential election disputed results, in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Seven EU Countries Call on Venezuela to Publish Electoral Rolls Quickly

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attend a demonstration called by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over the presidential election disputed results, in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (AFP)
Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attend a demonstration called by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado over the presidential election disputed results, in Caracas on August 3, 2024. (AFP)

Seven European Union countries, including Italy, France, Germany and Spain have jointly called on the Venezuelan authorities to promptly publish the electoral rolls to ensure full transparency around last weekend's election, the Italian prime minister's office said on Saturday.

Venezuela's electoral council has declared President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51% of the vote, sparking immediate accusations of fraud by the opposition. The opposition says its own detailed tally shows opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez likely received 67% of the vote.

The joint statement by the seven EU countries added to a tide of criticism from abroad over the Venezuelan government's handling of the election.

Some nations, including the United States and Argentina, have recognized Gonzalez as the election winner. Last week, G7 foreign ministers expressed their solidarity with the Venezuelan people and their concern about the election results.

"We call on the Venezuelan authorities to immediately publish all voting registers to ensure full transparency and integrity of the electoral process," said the statement by the seven EU nations, which also included Portugal, the Netherlands and Poland.

"The opposition says it has collected and published more than 80% of the electoral registers produced at each polling station. This verification is essential for the recognition of the will of the Venezuelan people".