An anti-terrorism unit was "attacked in a cowardly fashion by terrorist elements concealed by civilian camps" on Friday and 12 of its members "made the ultimate sacrifice", it said.

The attackers struck about 10 km (six miles) north of Sakoira, near Tillaberi, a large city in western Niger.

Nigerien reinforcements later "forced the enemy to flee northward" near the Malian border, the army said.

"A large-scale pursuit operation has been launched" and two suspected attackers arrested, it added.

The vast region around Tillaberi near the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso has for years been the scene of deadly attacks by jihadist groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Niger has been governed since July 2023 by a military junta that seized power in a coup.