Gunmen have killed 38 people in western Niger after ambushing villagers who were travelling to a weekly market, local sources have said.
The attack happened on Thursday morning near the town of Tera, in the Tillaberi region, close to the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali. It is one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Niger in recent months.
Ambush on the Road to Tera
Residents of Tillim village were travelling to the weekly market in Tera when unidentified armed men attacked their convoy. The villagers were travelling with members of a local self-defence group, who were escorting them on the journey.
The gunmen opened fire on the group on the road. Most of the victims were killed at the scene, and the attackers then fled. It is not yet clear how many gunmen took part in the attack.
The road between Tillim and Tera passes through open, dry countryside, and such journeys are a normal part of life for villagers in the area. The weekly market in Tera draws traders and shoppers from villages across the region.
38 Killed, Including 11 Self-Defence Fighters
Thirty-seven people were killed at the scene of the attack. One more person died of their wounds on Friday, taking the death toll to 38.
The dead include 11 self-defence fighters, 20 men and seven women, according to local sources. Residents also said children were among those killed.
The toll is based on accounts from local sources who spoke to the AFP news agency. The government of Niger has not yet given an official death toll, and the figures have not been independently confirmed by officials.
Local sources said the attack was carried out by unidentified armed men, and no official account of the attackers has been given. The wounded were taken to nearby health facilities for treatment.
No Group Has Claimed the Attack
No group has claimed responsibility for the ambush, and the attackers remain unidentified in the most detailed reports. Some other outlets have suggested a link to Islamic State Sahel Province, but that claim has not been confirmed.
Armed groups have carried out many attacks in the area around Tillaberi, but it is often hard to know who is behind a single attack. Groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State both operate in the border region where Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso meet.
The attack comes as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso continue to face years of violence from armed groups, despite heavy military operations in the region.
Tillaberi, the Deadliest Region
Tillaberi is the deadliest region for civilians in the central Sahel, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), which tracks violence across the region.
Villagers in Tillaberi often travel in groups for safety, and local self-defence groups escort them on roads that are known to be dangerous. Thursday’s attack shows that even escorted convoys are not safe.
The three countries formed a joint military alliance in 2023 and have since left the West African bloc ECOWAS, but attacks on civilians have continued.
Read more of our Politics coverage.
For a similar attack in Pakistan, read Kohat Ambush: 10 Police Killed in Gold Mining Area Attack.
Sources: AFP, The Hindu, New Indian Express, Modern Ghana.
Comments (0)
Be respectful — comments are moderated.