Niamey (Niger): At least 58 people were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire on four vehicles carrying passengers who were returning from a weekly market in the Tillabéri region, the Niger government said on Tuesday.
So far, no group has claimed the responsibility, which reportedly occurred on Monday.
The Niger government, in its statement read out on public television, said: “The assailants, still unidentified individuals intercepted the vehicles ferrying passengers back from the weekly market of Banibangou to the villages of Chinedogar and Darey-Daye.”
Fifty-eight people were killed and one was injured in the attack, the government added.
The African country has announced three days of national mourning.
In January this year, in Tillaberi region, around 100 civilians were killed in attacks after the first round of presidential elections.
Some militants belonging to the Islamic State are reportedly active in this reason.
The country is part of the larger Sahel region in West Africa, which has witnessed frequent militants attack. In 2014, France launched the 5,000-strong Operation Barkhane to check the terrorist threat in the region. In addition to the French forces, the operation involves the troops of the G5-Sahel member states — Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania.
