At least 21 civilians were killed in an attack by armed assailants on motorcycles in western Niger, the country’s army confirmed.
The assault occurred last Thursday near Tera, a town approximately 175 km (108 miles) west of the capital, Niamey, close to the border with Burkina Faso. The attackers targeted a public transport bus traveling between Bankilare and Tera in the volatile Tillaberi region, the army said in a weekend statement, describing it as a “hateful and inhumane act.”
Tillaberi, a hotbed of violence in the Sahel, has seen increasing clashes between armed groups and military forces. On Friday, one soldier was killed after a military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in a reprisal attack, the army reported.
Niger, alongside neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, remains at the center of a Sahel-wide insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions. All three nations are now governed by military regimes following a wave of coups since 2020. Despite promises to restore security, violence continues to escalate.
Previously a key ally in the U.S.-led counter-insurgency efforts in the Sahel, Niger’s new leadership ordered American troops to withdraw earlier this year, leaving Washington without a military presence in the region. The vacuum has seen Sahelian governments increasingly turn to alternative partners, including Russia, for support.
