22 people were killed in western Niger when gunmen attacked participants in a baptism ceremony before continuing their killing spree in Takoubatt village.
By Vatican News
Gunmen on motorbikes reportedly shot dead 22 villagers in western Niger, most attending a baptism ceremony.
Local media and other sources said the attack happened Monday in the Tillaberi region, near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group (IS) are active.
A resident of the area told AFP 15 people were killed first at a baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village.
“The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where they killed seven other people,” said the resident, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
In a post on social media, a Nigerien human rights activist said, “Once again, the Tillaberi region… has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair.”
Soldiers killed
Niger’s government has struggled to contain terrorist groups in Tillaberi, despite maintaining a large army presence there. Around 20 soldiers were reportedly killed in the region last week.
Human Rights Watch has urged Niger authorities to “do more to protect” civilians against deadly attacks. It estimates that terrorist groups have “summarily executed” more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers in Tillaberi in five attacks since March.
Meanwhile, the NGO ACLED, which tracks conflict victims worldwide, says around 1,800 people have been killed in attacks in Niger since October 2024, three-quarters of them in Tillaberi.
(Source: AFP and other news agencies)
