Niger attack: 22 killed as gunmen on motorbikes fire at baptism ceremony in Tillaberi

Reports say that gunmen on motorcycles shot 22 people, and most of them attend a baptism party, in an attack on a village in West Niger.

One of the residents of the French Press Agency told AFP that 15 people were killed at the ceremony in the Tilabari area, which challenges Mali and Burkina Faso, before moving to another place and killed seven others.

“While the people celebrated the baptism, the gunmen opened the fire, and they were blowing death and terrorism,” said Local activist in civil rights, Micol Zodi, on social media.

The military government has struggled to contain jihadi violence in the region, which is implemented by groups linked to the Islamic state and the Islamic State.

News Agency also cited the local media agency, ELMAESTRO TV as “reports” about “a year eager to die of 22 innocent people who were killed without reason or justification.”

The Niger authorities confirmed that there was an attack in the area, but did not give any victims.

Last week, Human Rights Watch said that jihadist groups have increased the attacks in the country since March, killing more than 127 Muslim villagers and worshipers.

Dozens of houses were looted and burned during the same period.

The group blamed the authorities for not responding enough to warn the attacks and ignore calls for help by the villagers.

Last Wednesday, 14 Nigerians soldiers were killed in an ambush in the Teabiri area, a number announced by the army on the weekly bulletin on Saturday.

The army said that one of its units was published after reports of the theft of livestock by armed men, but it was found that the operation was “ambush.”

It is often difficult to verify the real numbers of losses in such attacks due to the arrival and fear restrictions of revenge between witnesses and local media.

On Tuesday, Mr. Zodi asked why civilians were subjected to insecurity, and urged the government to give priority to the safety and dignity of citizens.

“It is time to obtain concrete answers, enhance the presence of the state in weak areas, and show that every Nigerian life is important,” was published on Facebook.

Niger has been under military control since 2023 when General Abdel Rahma Chani created the country -elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.

Its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, who are fighting the same jihadist rebellion, are governed by military leaders, but they have similarly struggled to contain the problem.

The three expelled the French and American forces, which had previously been involved in the fight against jihadists working all over the Sahel region.

Besides expanding their relations with the West, they have since formed an alliance to fight the jihadist threat, and to turn to Russia and Turkey to meet their security needs. However, violence continued.

Participated in additional reports by Marima Sumana in Niamey