Jihadists kill 100 in Niger village attacks
At least 100 people were killed by suspected jihadists in Niger over the weekend, in one of the country’s worst attacks in recent history.
Armed militants travelling on motorcycles split into groups and surrounded two villages in the western Tillaberi region near the border with Mali, according to local officials.
Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said on Sunday that 70 people were killed in the village of Tchombangou and 30 were killed in Zaroumdareye.
A further 75 injured villagers were evacuated to the regional capital of Oullam and the capital city Niamey to receive treatment.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that the attacks may have been in response to the killing of two jihadists by villagers. Mr Rafini said: "This situation is simply horrible... but investigations will be conducted so that this crime does not go unpunished.”
The region is nestled between Mali and Burkina Faso which have both succumbed to violent Islamist insurgencies over the past decade.
Porous borders have led to fears that extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State are on the rise in Niger.
The massacre is the latest in a string of attacks relating to jihadists, ethnic violence and armed bandits. Seven Nigerien soldiers were killed in December during an ambush in Tillaberi.
This follows the death of six French aid workers in August who were attacked by gunmen while visiting a safari park on the outskirts of Niamey. Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, held an election in December after President Mahamadou Issoufou announced he would step down after two terms.
His departure paves the way for Niger’s first-ever peaceful transition of power. According to provisional results announced on Saturday, the ruling party candidate Mohamed Bazoum will face former president Mahamane Ousmane in a February runoff after neither candidate secured a majority.
