Gunmen reportedly on motorbikes have killed 22 villagers in western Niger, where most of them had gathered for a baptism ceremony.
The dreaded attack took place on Monday in Takoubatt village, Tillaberi region, an area plagued by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
A resident told AFP that the gunmen opened fire on worshippers during the baptism, killing 15 people.
“The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where they killed seven other people,” the resident reportedly said, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Local media outlet Elmaestro TV described the assault as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”
Human rights campaigner Maikoul Zodi also condemned the killings.
“Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair,” he wrote on social media.
Naija News reports that Niger’s junta, which seized power two years ago, has struggled to contain jihadist violence despite deploying a heavy military presence in the region.
Just last week, around 20 soldiers were killed in the area.
Human Rights Watch urged Niger’s authorities to “do more to protect” civilians, noting that the Islamic State has summarily executed more than 127 villagers and worshippers in Tillaberi in five separate attacks since March.
Conflict-tracking group ACLED said nearly 1,800 people have been killed in attacks across Niger since October 2024, with Tillaberi accounting for three-quarters of the fatalities.
Niger, alongside Burkina Faso and Mali, is now under military rule. The three countries have expelled French and American forces previously deployed to help fight jihadist insurgents.
