At least 31 civilians were killed in an armed attack on a village in western Niger, local sources reported Tuesday. The assault occurred Sunday in Bosiye, a village in the Tillaberi region near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali.
The tri-border area has become a flashpoint, where militants linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State carry out attacks. For nearly a decade, militants have operated freely here, turning the region into a perilous fiefdom of violence and fear.
A local resident told AFP that 30 villagers died on the spot, while one of the wounded later died at a health centre. The attack left the community stunned, with local student unions expressing shock at the “odious and barbaric act” in a statement.
In September, the mayor of Gorouol, the area encompassing Bosiye, was killed in a separate ambush by armed assailants. Tillaberi has been described as the deadliest region in the central Sahel, with 2025 marking unprecedented levels of civilian casualties, ACLED reported.
Authorities have not yet announced arrests, and investigations into the Sunday attack are ongoing amid fears of further violence. The repeated strikes underscore the growing security crisis across Niger, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of extremist campaigns.
