Gunmen riding motorbikes have killed 22 villagers during a baptism ceremony in western Niger, local media and security sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Monday in Takoubatt village, Tillaberi region, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali — an area plagued by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS).
A resident told AFP that 15 people were shot dead at the ceremony before the assailants moved to the outskirts of the village, where they killed seven more.
Local outlet Elmaestro TV described the incident as “a gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”
Human rights campaigner Maikoul Zodi condemned the killings, saying the Tillaberi region had once again “been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair.”
Despite a heavy military presence, Niger’s junta — which seized power in a 2023 coup — has struggled to curb jihadist violence in Tillaberi.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the authorities to step up protection for civilians, noting that IS fighters had “summarily executed” more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers in the region in at least five attacks since March.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), nearly 1,800 people have been killed in attacks across Niger since October 2024, with Tillaberi accounting for about three-quarters of the casualties.
Niger, alongside neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled French and US forces who had been supporting regional counterinsurgency operations, insisting instead on pursuing a sovereign security approach.
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