Terrorists killed at least 44 civilians and severely wounded 13 others in an attack on a mosque in southwest Niger, the country’s defense ministry said on Friday.
The assault took place during afternoon prayers in the village of Fombita, located in the rural commune of Kokorou near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali—an area at the heart of a jihadist insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State.
Authorities blamed the attack on the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS), describing it as a “massacre of rare cruelty.” According to the defense ministry, heavily armed militants surrounded the mosque as worshippers gathered for Ramadan prayers before launching the attack. The assailants then set fire to a market and several homes before retreating.
Security forces deployed to the scene confirmed a provisional death toll of 44 civilians, with 13 others critically injured. The government has declared three days of national mourning.
Niger has struggled with escalating jihadist violence since militants seized territory in northern Mali following a 2012 Tuareg rebellion. The insurgency has since spread across the Sahel, with attacks on villages, military posts, and convoys becoming routine in Niger, Burkina Faso, and beyond.
Widespread insecurity has contributed to multiple coups in the region, including in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso between 2020 and 2023. Military-led governments in these countries have distanced themselves from Western allies, seeking security assistance from Russia instead.
