Jail break in Niger: Some inmates recaptured after escape from prison holding jihadist militants

Niger's army has recaptured “a large number” of detainees who escaped last week from the high-security Koutoukale prison, located 50 km northwest of the capital Niamey, AFP reports. The country’s interior ministry announced a largescale manhunt in the wake of the jail break but did not disclose the number of escapees or details of the escape, according to Reuters. Koutoukale houses detainees from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and Boko Haram. 

Niger and its neighbors in the Sahel have been battling a growing tide of jihadist violence since al-Qaeda-linked fighters seized parts of Mali in 2012. Insurgencies have caused thousands of deaths and displaced over 3 million people, fueling a humanitarian crisis in some of the world’s poorest countries. 

The perceived failure of civilian governments to effectively combat jihadist violence helped usher a wave of military coups across the Sahel, including Niger. The military governments have made little progress against the jihadist groups.