30 People Died In Air Strikes In West Niger

Niger/PHOTO Lars Rosendahl Appelquist via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - It was reported that 30 people were killed in an air strike in western Niger, the latest victim in the country's territory to be hit by Islamic militant attacks and counter-insurgency operations.

The attack took place Monday near a weekly market in the city of Injar in the Tillabery region bordering Burkina Faso and Mali, sources told Reuters.

The region is the center of activity of groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda that the three military governments are difficult to counter.

An eyewitness and local resident said the death toll was 37, while a security source said "more than 30."

The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The security source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to provide information to the media.

"The bomb fell on the outskirts of the market. It was the fragments that had an impact on people nearby," said a medical source involved in treating several injured victims at a local health facility.

The government has not issued a statement regarding the incident.

A government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, September 26.

Security sources said local authorities had tried to close the weekly market on suspicion of a militant group getting supplies there, but residents ignored the order.

Air and land operations by security forces have increased since military officers led by General Abdourahamane Tiani toppled President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup in 2023, according to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a US crisis monitoring group.

ISIS-affiliated militants stepped up attacks in western Niger this year, killing more than 127 people in five separate attacks since March, highlighting the failure of authorities to protect civilians, according to Human Rights Watch in an earlier report this month.

The killing of civilians by the military in Niger is much rarer than in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, according to ACLED.