NIAMEY, Niger - Niger said Friday the death toll had risen to 17 following a jihadist attack on soldiers last week in the country's southwest near the border with Mali.
"Seventeen (soldiers) dead, 13 wounded, 12 missing," the defence ministry said. "Search operations are continuing," it added.
The ministry initially said 10 soldiers were killed when "armed terrorists" attacked a military patrol on February 10.
The attack took place in Niger's vast western region of Tillaberi, which straddles Burkina Faso and Mali -- two countries hit by jihadist insurgency.
The region has faced repeated attack since 2017 by armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State network.