Gunmen riding motorbikes killed 22 villagers in western Niger on Monday, most of them gathered for a baptism ceremony, local media and security sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The attack occurred in Takoubatt village, in the Tillaberi region near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, an area plagued by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
According to a resident who spoke anonymously for security reasons, the assailants first opened fire at the baptism venue, killing 15 people. They later targeted the outskirts of the village, where seven more victims were shot dead.
Local broadcaster Elmaestro TV described the killings as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”
Human rights activist Maikoul Zodi also condemned the violence, saying the Tillaberi region had once again been “struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair.”
Niger’s military government, which seized power in a coup two years ago, has struggled to contain Islamist insurgents despite deploying a heavy security presence in Tillaberi. Just last week, around 20 soldiers were reported killed in the same region.
Human Rights Watch has urged the authorities to step up civilian protection, noting that the Islamic State group has summarily executed more than 127 villagers and worshippers in Tillaberi in five separate incidents since March.
Conflict-tracking organisation ACLED estimates that nearly 1,800 people have been killed in violent attacks in Niger since October 2024, with three-quarters of the deaths recorded in Tillaberi alone.
Niger, along with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso—also under military rule—has expelled French and American forces that had been assisting in counter-insurgency operations, citing a shift towards “sovereignist” policies.