Attack 'Geng Motor' Armed In Niger Kills 21 People

JAKARTA - A group of armed attackers on motorbikes killed 21 civilians in the country of Niger, West Africa.

Last Thursday's attack near the city of Tera came at a time when violence escalated in the Sahel, where the military rulers expelled Western troops and asked for support from Russia and other countries.

The target is public transport buses traveling between the cities of Bankilare and Tera in the Tilluberi region, the army said in a statement. The army called the attack a hateful and inhumane act.

The Tillali region is increasingly focusing on retaliatory attacks between the military and local armed groups.

The army said one of its troops was killed in a retaliatory attack on Friday when military vehicles ran over a homemade bomb.

Neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are at the heart of the Sahel insurgency which has killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

All led by a military government that seized power through a series of coups that began in 2020.

Military rulers have pledged to provide greater security to the public, but security continues to deteriorate.

Niger used to be an important partner in the US war against rebels in the Sahel region, but this year Niamey ordered the US to step down, leaving Washington without a military foothold in the Sahel.