At least ten soldiers died in an ambush by a group of "armed terrorists" in southwestern Niger, close to the Mali border, the defence ministry said yesterday.

The toll from Friday's attack could rise as 16 people are still missing and 13 soldiers were wounded, a ministry statement said.

The troops were on patrol in the north of Banibangou department when they "came under a complex ambush by a group of armed terrorists" it said, referring to jihadist groups.

The statement also said several attackers were killed during the fighting, but did not specify how many.