A unit of Operation Almahaou, which targets Islamic fundamentalists, "was violently attacked by several hundred terrorists" in Kandadji, in the Tillabéri region.

Seven soldiers died on Thursday in western Niger in an attack by alleged Islamic fundamentalists, said the Nigerien defense minister, quoted by Lusa.

A unit of Operation Almahaou, which targets Islamic fundamentalists, "was violently attacked by several hundred terrorists" in Kandadji, in the Tillabéri region, said General Salifou Mody.

In addition to the seven soldiers who died "in combat", "during the intervention" in response to the attack, "a tragic traffic accident resulted in the loss of five" personnel, he added in a statement.

The minister, appointed by the military regime that seized power in Niger in a coup on July 26, said that seven people had been injured and taken to hospital.

The attackers' motorcycles and weapons "were destroyed in the Tijiane area", in the same region, while "a search operation is underway to find the enemy's trail", according to the same note.

The military junta overthrew elected President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup d'état justified by the "deteriorating security situation" in Niger, which is facing violence from the extremist groups Boko Haram and Islamic State (IS) of West Africa in the south-east of the country.

The west of Niger, which borders Burkina Faso and Mali, has served as a refuge for Islamic fundamentalist groups affiliated with Al-Qaida and ISIS.

On August 20, at least 17 Nigerien soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in an attack by alleged terrorists near the border between Niger and Burkina Faso, the deadliest attack since the coup d'état.

According to the non-governmental organization Acled, the number of deaths in attacks by Islamic fundamentalists in Niger has risen since the military junta overthrew the Bazoum executive.

The Nigerian military regime has requested the departure of around 1,500 French soldiers who are in the country as part of the fight against fundamentalist groups.

The soldiers should leave Niger by the end of the year, French President Emmanuel Macron said last week. A withdrawal that "must be established within a negotiated framework", replied the military junta.

The French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itté, whose expulsion was ordered by the military regime and initially refused by France, ended up returning to Paris on Wednesday.

The United States, which has 1,100 troops in Niger, has indicated that it is evaluating its options regarding a possible withdrawal.

The Nigerian military junta has sought support from Mali and Burkina Faso, also led by military regimes that came to power following coups d'état. The three countries have created the Alliance of Sahel States to cooperate in the area of defense.