At least 39 people, including children, have been killed in two separate attacks in western Niger near the Burkina Faso border, according to a statement from Niger’s defense ministry.
The ministry described the attacks in the communities of Libiri and Kokorou as "barbaric acts" carried out by militants. The violence claimed the lives of 21 civilians in Libiri and 18 in Kokorou, targeting defenseless populations.
The incidents occurred during operations conducted by Niger’s security forces between December 12 and 14, although the ministry did not specify the exact timing of the attacks.
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Both villages are located in the Tera region, a volatile area plagued by armed groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. This border region, spanning Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, has been a hotspot for extremist insurgencies.
Earlier this month, local sources reported that 21 civilians were killed on December 7 when gunmen attacked a goods convoy. In another recent incident, jihadists reportedly killed 90 soldiers and over 40 civilians in the Chatoumane area of Tera.
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The military government, which took power in a coup in July 2023, dismissed reports of the Chatoumane attack as "false claims" and accused foreign media of spreading misinformation. Despite the junta's denial, a Western security source estimated that 90 to 100 people lost their lives in the attack.
The junta has since suspended BBC radio for three months over its coverage of the alleged violence, adding it to a growing list of Western media outlets sanctioned by Niger's current government.
