The Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Niger’s army, which it said killed 30 soldiers.

The soldiers were killed in an ambush on their convoy near the town of Tegui in the Tillaberi region in the west of the country, the group said in a statement carried by its Amaq news agency and posted on its Telegram channel.

Niger’s Defense Ministry said late Thursday that 23 soldiers were killed and 17 others wounded in the attack. About 30 attackers were killed, it added.

Niger is one of several West African countries battling an Islamist insurgency that has spread from Mali over the past 12 years, killing thousands and displacing millions.

Since 2020, dissatisfaction with authorities’ failure to protect civilians has triggered military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The military junta that seized power severed ties with Western allies assisting military operations there, expelled French and other European troops and turned to Russia for help.

Niger’s military junta last week withdrew a military agreement that allowed U.S. Department of Defense military and civilian personnel to enter Nigerien territory.