Deadly ambush on Arlit–Agadez bus route kills 11 people in Niger

At least eleven people were killed on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, when heavily armed attackers ambushed two passenger buses travelling between Arlit and Agadez in northern Niger.

The attack occurred in the morning about 35 kilometres from Agadez, the regional capital, according to the Journal du Niger.

The assailants, travelling in three all-terrain vehicles, intercepted the convoy. A military contingent aboard one of the buses engaged the attackers in a direct firefight. Ten passengers and one soldier were killed, and several survivors sustained gunshot wounds. A Rimbo company bus evacuated some of the injured to health centres in Agadez.

Security services are still investigating to identify the commando. Reports indicate one of the vehicles was carrying a significant quantity of gold, suggesting a premeditated robbery by criminal networks targeting the precious metal. The attack highlights the persistent insecurity on desert transport corridors in northern Niger.