More than 200 gunmen on motorbikes have attacked a Niger army base near the border with Mali, leaving at least 34 soldiers dead, the country’s defence ministry said.

The attackers – described by the ministry as “mercenaries” – raided the base in the western town of Banibangou on Thursday, injuring 14 other soldiers.

The ministry said that its forces killed “dozens of terrorists” in the battle.

Niger’s military is under pressure for failing to curb militant attacks, one of its justifications for deposing democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023.

“This Thursday, June 19, a cowardly and barbaric attack was carried out against [the town of] Banibangou by a horde of several hundred mercenaries aboard eight vehicles and more than 200 motorbikes,” the ministry said in a statement read out on state TV.

It added that the troops were conducting search operations in Banibangou to track down the attackers.

The town, which lies close to the three-way border between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, is prone to jihadist attacks from Islamist groups.

Niger’s ruling junta has expelled French and US forces that had been heavily involved in the fight against jihadists.

West African neighbours Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali are facing an insurgency from different jihadist groups which operate across the Sahel region.

The three countries have formed an alliance to fight the jihadists and scaled back ties with the West, turning to Russia and Turkey instead for their security needs.

But the violence has continued.