At least 44 civilians were killed and 13 others severely injured when Islamist militants launched a deadly attack on a mosque in southwest Niger, according to the country’s defence ministry.
The assault, which took place during afternoon prayers on Friday in the village of Fombita, located in the rural commune of Kokorou, unfolded near the volatile tri-border area shared by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, an epicentre of jihadist insurgency in West Africa linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.
In a statement issued late Friday, the defence ministry blamed the attack on the EIGS group, an Islamic State affiliate.
According to Reuters, heavily armed militants reportedly surrounded the mosque as worshippers gathered during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and committed what the ministry described as a “massacre of rare cruelty”. The attackers also set fire to a market and several homes before retreating, the statement added.
Troops dispatched to the scene confirmed a provisional death toll of 44 civilians and 13 severely injured victims. In response, the government has declared three days of national mourning.
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The Sahel region has been gripped by insurgency since Islamist militants seized territory in northern Mali following a Tuareg rebellion in 2012.
The violence has since spilled into Niger and Burkina Faso, and more recently into parts of coastal West African nations such as Togo and Ghana.
Thousands have lost their lives and millions have been displaced as jihadist groups continue to carry out attacks on towns, villages, security outposts and military convoys across the region.
The inability of governments to restore stability has been a major factor behind a series of military takeovers, two in Mali, two in Burkina Faso, and one in Niger between 2020 and 2023. All three countries remain under military rule, despite mounting regional and international calls for democratic elections.
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