Thirty-nine civilians have tragically lost their lives in two separate attacks in western Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso.
Niger’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the deaths on Saturday, describing the incidents as heinous acts of violence targeting defenseless communities.
The attacks occurred in the villages of Libiri and Kokorou, both located in the Tera border region.
The Ministry’s statement read: “Two horrific tragedies occurred in the communities of Libiri and Kokorou. Criminals, cornered by relentless operations conducted by defense and security forces, launched attacks on defenseless civilian populations.” The attacks, labeled as “barbaric acts,” resulted in 21 deaths in Libiri and 18 in Kokorou, including children among the victims.
Although the ministry outlined that these operations were conducted between December 12 and 14, the exact timing of the attacks was not disclosed. The Tera region has been plagued with extremist violence, with militants linked to both the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda waging insurgency against the government and civilians alike.
Local sources reported that one of the most recent attacks occurred on December 7, when armed assailants ambushed a goods convoy, killing 21 civilians.
Reports from both the BBC and RFI claimed that jihadist fighters killed at least 90 soldiers and over 40 civilians in an assault on the village of Chatoumane on Tuesday. However, Niger’s military junta dismissed these reports, labeling them “baseless assertions” and a “campaign of intoxication.”
Niger’s military government has suspended BBC radio for three months following its reporting on the Chatoumane massacre.
While AFP could not independently verify the exact casualty numbers from the Chatoumane attack, a Western security source corroborated that the death toll ranged between 90 and 100.
AFP/NGG.
