On August 15, 2023, jihadists from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) ambushed Nigerien soldiers near Koutougou, a village on the border between Niger and Mali.

On July 26, 2023, disgruntled Nigerien officers led by Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew the democratically-elected government of Mohamed Bazoum, decrying him for not effectively combatting the jihadist insurgencies in the country by Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and Boko Haram.

[1] Analysts stated that the coup would allow jihadists to expand even more throughout the tri-border region between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

[2][3] Following the coup, the Nigerien Army called a portion of its forces back to Niamey, amplifying the threat along the Malian border.

[7] JNIM claimed responsibility for the ambush on August 18, also corroborating the death toll of seventeen soldiers.