Gunmen on motorbikes have shot useless 22 folks, most of them attending a baptism ceremony, in an assault on a village in western Niger, reviews say.
A resident instructed the French information company AFP that 15 folks have been killed on the ceremony in Tillabéri area, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso, earlier than transferring elsewhere and killing seven others.
“Whereas folks celebrated a baptism ceremony, gunmen opened hearth, sowing demise and terror,” native civil rights activist Maikoul Zodi mentioned on social media.
Niger’s army authorities has struggled to include jihadist violence within the area, carried out by teams linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
The AFP information company additionally cited native media outlet Elmaestro TV as reporting a “ugly demise toll of twenty-two harmless folks cowardly killed with out purpose or justification”.
Final week, Human Rights Watch mentioned jihadist teams had elevated assaults within the nation since March, summarily killing over 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers.
Dozens of houses have been looted and burned over the identical interval, it mentioned.
The group blamed authorities for not adequately responding to warnings of assaults and ignoring requires assist by villagers.
Final Wednesday, 14 Nigerien troopers have been killed in an ambush within the Tillabéri area, a determine that the military introduced in its weekly bulletin on Saturday.
The military mentioned one in every of its models was deployed following reviews of a cattle theft by armed males, however the operation turned out to be “an ambush”.
It’s usually tough to independently confirm the true numbers of casualties in such assaults as a consequence of entry restrictions and the concern of reprisals amongst witnesses and native media.
On Tuesday, Mr Zodi questioned why civilians have been nonetheless being uncovered to such insecurity, and urged the federal government to prioritise the protection and dignity of residents.
“It’s time for concrete solutions, strengthen state presence in weak areas, and present that each Nigerien life issues,” he posted on Fb.
Niger has been underneath army management since 2023 when Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani deposed the nation’s elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
Its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali, battling the identical jihadist insurgency, are additionally dominated by army leaders however have equally struggled to include the issue.
The three have expelled French and US forces that have been beforehand closely concerned within the struggle towards jihadists that function throughout the Sahel area.
In addition to scaling again their ties with the West, they’ve since fashioned an alliance to struggle the jihadist menace, turning to Russia and Turkey for his or her safety wants. Nevertheless, the violence has continued.
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