Niger’s attack: 22 killed as artillery of motorcycles fire at the baptism ceremony in Tilaberry

Motorcycles were shot dead 22 people, most of whom attended a baptism ceremony, in an attack on a village in West Niger, reported.

A resident told the French news agency AFP that 15 people were killed at the Tilaberry area, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso before moving to another place and killing seven others.

“While people were celebrating a baptism ceremony, the artillerymen opened fire, sowing death and terror,” said local civil rights activist Maul Zodi in social media.

Niger’s military government is struggling to restrict violence to a jihadist in the region, committed by al -Qaeda and Islamic State groups.

AFP news agency also cites local media Elmaestro TV by reporting “a terrible death of 22 innocent people, cowardly killed for no reason or justification.”

Niger’s authorities have confirmed that there was an attack in the area, but they did not victim to victims.

Last week, Human Rights Watch said jihadist groups had increased attacks in the country since March, killing over 127 peasants and Muslim worshipers.

Dozens of homes have been looted and burned during the same period, the announcement said.

The group has accused authorities of not adequately responding to attack warnings and neglecting the peasants’ assistance.

Last Wednesday, 14 Nigeren soldiers were ambushed in the Tilaberry area, a figure that the army announced on its weekly newsletter on Saturday.

The army said one of its parts was located after reports of cattle theft by armed men, but the operation turned out to be “ambush”.

It is often difficult to independently check the real number of victims in such attacks due to restrictions on access and fear of repression among witnesses and local media.

On Tuesday, Zodi called out why civilians were still exposed to such uncertainty and called on the government to prioritize the safety and dignity of citizens.

“It’s time for specific answers, strengthening the presence of a condition in vulnerable areas and showing that every life of Nigen matters,” he published on Facebook.

Niger has been under military control since 2023, when Gen Abdurahman Tsani removed the elected president of the country Mohammed Bazum.

Her neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, struggling with the same jihadist uprising, are also governed by military leaders, but similarly struggles to control the problem.

The three have expelled the French and US forces, who have previously been heavily engaged in the fight against the jihadists acting in the Sahel region.

In addition to scathing their ties with the West, they have since created an alliance to combat the threat of jihadists, turning to Russia and Turkey for their security needs. However, violence continues.

Additional reporting by Marima Sumana in Niami