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Gunmen on motorbikes have killed at least 22 people in a brutal attack on a village in Niger’s western Tillabéri region, local reports say.
Witnesses told AFP that 15 people were shot dead while attending a baptism ceremony before the attackers moved on to kill seven others nearby. “While people celebrated a baptism ceremony, gunmen opened fire, sowing death and terror,” civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi wrote on social media.
Authorities have confirmed an attack in the area but have not released casualty figures. Local outlet Elmaestro TV described the incident as “a gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”
Rising violence
Tillabéri, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, has long been at the centre of jihadist violence by groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Last week, Human Rights Watch reported that militants had killed more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers since March, looting and burning dozens of homes.
On Wednesday, 14 soldiers were killed in an ambush in the same region, after responding to reports of cattle theft. The army said its troops had walked into a trap laid by armed fighters.
Mounting pressure on military rulers
Niger’s military junta, which seized power in 2023, is under growing criticism for failing to protect civilians. “It is time for concrete answers, strengthen state presence in vulnerable areas, and show that every Nigerien life matters,” Mr Zodi urged on Facebook.
Niger, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled French and US forces previously active in counter-terrorism operations, instead forming a regional alliance and turning to Russia and Turkey for security support. Despite these moves, attacks in the Sahel have intensified.
Independent verification of casualty figures remains difficult, with restrictions on access to conflict zones and fear of reprisals among local witnesses.
