NIAMEY, Niger: At least 22 civilians were killed in an attack by suspected jihadists against a village in western Niger near the border with Mali on Sunday, local sources told media on Monday.
“Unfortunately, 22 people died in the attack, including some self-defence militiamen,” a local elected official said. The toll was also confirmed by a resident in a nearby town.
The attack targeted the village of Motogatta in the vast Tillaberi region near to Mali and Burkina Faso borders, and where jihadist groups have been active for years.
According to the official, the attackers arrived on motorbikes in the village around 4 pm (1500 GMT).
“They started shooting, killing people on the spot,” he said.
The country is battling two jihadist insurgencies — a spillover in its southeast from a long-running conflict in neighbouring Nigeria, and an offensive in the west by militants crossing from Burkina Faso and Mali.
When military overthrew democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 last year, they cited the deterioration of the security situation in the country as justification.
