A ranar 23 ga Mayu, 2013, wasu hare-hare biyu da kungiyoyin masu kaifin kishin Islama suka aiwatar sun auna biranen Nijar biyu na Agadez da Arlit, na farko shi ne sansanin soja dayan kuma mallakar Faransa ne da masarrafar uranium. A hari na farko da aka kai kan sansanin sojojin Nijar, inda maharan takwas suka kai shi, sojoji 23 da wani farar hula aka tabbatar da mutuwarsu washegari. Hari na biyu da wasu ‘yan ƙunar bakin wake biyu suka kai shi ma ya yi ikirarin cewa ma’aikaci ne a mahakar. Daga baya kungiyar 'Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO)) ta dauki alhakin hakan, tana mai cewa "Mun kaiwa Faransa da Nijar hari ne saboda hadin kan da take yi da Faransa a yaki da Sharia (Shari'ar Musulunci)". Sun kuma yi alkawarin karin hare-hare da za su zo a matsayin ramuwar gayya ga shigar Nijar cikin rikicin Arewacin Mali . Rahotannin sun nuna cewa shugaban Islama Mokhtar Belmokhtar na "mai tsara" duka hare-haren biyu, wanda rundunarsa ta sa ido kan "Sa hannun jinin."