Gunmen Kill 22 Villagers at Baptism in Western Niger

Gunmen Kill 22 Villagers at Baptism in Western Niger

Armed assailants on motorbikes opened fire during a baptism ceremony in western Niger, killing 22 villagers in the violence-stricken Tillaberi region on Monday.

Witnesses said 15 people were gunned down at the ceremony in Takoubatt village, while seven more were killed nearby shortly afterwards. The attackers fled before security forces arrived.

Tillaberi, bordering Burkina Faso and Mali, has long been plagued by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Local activists described the massacre as another act of “barbarism” that has left families in mourning.

The attack came days after 20 soldiers were killed in the same region, despite a heavy military presence. Human Rights Watch urged authorities to step up protection for civilians, warning that the Islamic State group has executed more than 127 villagers in Tillaberi since March.

Conflict-tracking group ACLED estimates around 1,800 people have been killed in Niger since October 2024, three-quarters of them in Tillaberi.

Niger, along with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, is now fighting jihadist violence without the support of French or American troops, who were expelled following military takeovers in the region.