Thirty-nine civilians have been killed in two recent attacks in western Niger, near the border with Burkina Faso, according to Niger’s Ministry of Defence.
The ministry, in a statement released on Saturday, said the attacks occurred in the communities of Libiri and Kokorou in the Tera border region, an area troubled by violent jihadist activities.
“Two horrific tragedies happened in the communities of Libiri and Kokorou,” the ministry stated. “Criminals, cornered by constant operations by defence and security forces, launched attacks on defenceless civilian populations.”
The statement confirmed that 21 people were killed in Libiri and 18 in Kokorou, including children. The attacks were described as “barbaric acts.”
Although the operations in the area took place from December 12 to 14, the ministry did not specify the exact date of the attacks.
The Tera region has witnessed a surge in jihadist activities, with armed groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda frequently targeting civilians and security forces.
The area has seen several bloody incidents in recent weeks. On December 7, local sources reported that 21 civilians were killed during an attack on a goods convoy.
On Wednesday, reports surfaced claiming that over 90 soldiers and 40 civilians had been killed in the same region during another attack. However, Niger’s military government dismissed those claims as “baseless assertions” and accused foreign media of spreading misinformation.
Following these reports, Niger’s junta suspended BBC radio for three months, accusing the broadcaster of biased reporting. This move is part of a broader crackdown on Western media since the military took power in July 2023.
The borderlands between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso remain a hotspot for jihadist insurgency, with militant groups exploiting the region’s porous borders and weak governance.
