…seven people were killed in the outskirts of Takoubatt village.
TILLABERI, NIGER – The iNews Times | At least 29 people have been killed in a brutal attack by armed assailants in Niger’s troubled Tillaberi region, local sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Monday during a baptism ceremony in a village in western Niger, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali. Witnesses say the attackers arrived on motorbikes and opened fire indiscriminately on the crowd.
“It was a gruesome massacre,” one resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “They attacked during the ceremony and continued shooting on the outskirts of the village. It was pure horror.”
An additional seven people were killed in the outskirts of Takoubatt village, bringing the total death toll to 29.
Nigerien broadcaster Elmaestro TV described the incident as a “gruesome massacre,” while human rights advocate Maikoul Zodi condemned the killings as “barbarism that once again throws the Tillaberi region into mourning and despair.”
This latest tragedy further exposes the fragile security situation in Tillaberi, which has become a persistent battleground for jihadist groups linked to both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Despite the heavy deployment of military forces, Niger’s ruling junta which seized power in a coup two years ago has struggled to restore calm in the region. Just last week, 20 soldiers were killed in a similar attack nearby, further underscoring the threat posed by the insurgency.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch urged the authorities to do more to protect vulnerable communities.
“The Islamic State has summarily executed over 127 villagers and worshippers in Tillaberi since March alone,” the rights group stated.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) paints a grim picture: nearly 1,800 people have been killed in Niger since October 2024, with three out of every four deaths occurring in Tillaberi.
As security forces continue to search for the attackers, residents of the region are once again left grieving and wondering how long this nightmare will continue.
