Unidentified gunmen killed 11 soldiers defending a village in a remote part of southwest Niger where Islamist militants operate, the defence ministry said on Friday, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The heavily armed attackers approached in a convoy of cars and motorbikes on Thursday afternoon, clashing with soldiers stationed outside the village of Dagne near the border with Mali, it said in a statement.

The attack was repulsed, but 11 soldiers were killed and nine are missing.

No group has claimed responsibility for the assault. A local affiliate of Islamic State has killed hundreds of civilians in a series of attacks in the same area this year despite government efforts to regain control.

Source: Azeri-Press News Agency