Baptism Massacre in Western Niger Kills 22 Civilians

Gunmen on motorbikes shot dead 22 villagers in western Niger, most of them attending a baptism ceremony, local media and other sources said Tuesday. The shootings occurred Monday in the Tillaberi region, near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are active. A resident told AFP that 15 people were killed at the baptism ceremony in Takoubatt village. The attackers then went to the outskirts of Takoubatt where seven more people were killed, the resident said, asking not to be named for security reasons. Local media outlet Elmaestro TV reported a death toll of 22. Nigerien human rights campaigner Maikoul Zodi wrote on social media that the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism and families are in mourning.

Niger's military leaders, who came to power two years ago in a coup, have struggled to contain jihadist groups in Tillaberi despite maintaining a large army presence there. Around 20 soldiers were killed in the region last week. Human Rights Watch has urged Niger authorities to do more to protect civilians amid the attacks. The rights group says the Islamic State group has summarily executed more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshippers in Tillaberi in five attacks since March. ACLED, which tracks conflict casualties worldwide, says around 1,800 people have been killed in attacks in Niger since October 2024, three-quarters of them in Tillaberi. Niger and its neighbors, Burkina Faso and Mali, all ruled by military leaders who have pursued sovereignist policies, have expelled the French and American armies that were fighting jihadists in the region. Aid groups warn civilians in Tillaberi face displacement and food insecurity as violence continues, underscoring the broader security challenges facing Niger and the Sahel.