22 People are Killed by Gunmen in Western Niger During a Baptism Ceremony

Residents of the Tillabéri region in western Niger said that 22 people were shot dead by gunmen, the majority of whom were attending a baptism, according to the French news agency AFP. Although they have acknowledged that an incident occurred, Niger’s officials have not disclosed the number of casualties.

According to many media and witness accounts, a group of gunmen on motorcycles carried out an armed attack in western Niger on Wednesday, killing 22 civilians. Fifteen individuals were killed when the terrorists opened fire on villagers who were attending a baptism ceremony. After leaving the area, they murdered seven more nearby residents.

Armed conflict is not new to the Tillabéri region of western Niger, which borders Burkina Faso and Mali. Particularly active in the area are jihadist organizations, and Niger’s military has been finding it difficult to stop attacks from various jihadist factions.

Attacks that also occurred in the Tillabéri region last week claimed the lives of many Nigerien army soldiers. About 20 soldiers are thought to have lost their lives in at least two different attacks on September 10. The violence in Tillabéri was brought to light in a recent Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, which also urged authorities to take further action to safeguard people in the area.

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