Dozens killed as gunmen launch attacks in Niger

At least 58 people were killed in twin attacks by unidentified gunmen in the Tillaberi region.

CAPE TOWN, March 17 (ANA) – Around 58 civilians were killed in south-western Niger on Monday in a spate of attacks.

Unidentified gunmen intercepted a convoy returning from a weekly market and attacked a nearby village near the Mali border, reported international news agency Al Jazeera.

According to government sources, gunmen opened fire on four vehicles that were bringing people back from a market in the Tillaberi region.

Authorities report that at least 58 people were killed in the attacks, wrote the BBC.

AFP news agency reported that the raids began with an attack on a bus in which “around 20 people were killed”.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, although extremists belonging to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are known to be active in the Tillaberi region where the attacks took place, reported British newspaper the Guardian.

Other media outlets reported that two jihadist campaigns are ongoing in Niger, one in the west near Mali and Burkina Faso, and another in the south-east on the border with Nigeria.

According to AFP, Niger is part of a France-backed alliance of countries in the Sahel region battling militants, including some in a group aligned to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

On January 2, 100 people were killed in attacks on two villages in the Mangaize district of Tillaberi, according to reports.

The security situation in Niger remains volatile, with President Mahamadou Issoufou facing ongoing pressure to bring stability to the region.

The government announced a three-day period of national mourning for the victims, starting from Wednesday.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher