Attack kills 19 civilians in West Niger

Nineteen civilians were killed on Wednesday in an armed attack in western Niger near the border with Mali, the Interior Ministry announced Thursday evening.

Niamey [Niger], July 30 (ANI/Xinhua): Nineteen civilians were killed on Wednesday in an armed attack in western Niger near the border with Mali, the Interior Ministry announced Thursday evening. A group of unidentified armed individuals attacked the Banibangou district of the Deye Koukou village in the Tillabery region, causing 19 deaths, three injuries and one missing, the ministry said in a press release.

"Security and health measures have been reinforced in the area," and investigation has been launched to locate the perpetrators of this attack, it added. The region has in recent years seen a growing number of deadly attacks against the country's armed forces and civilian populations. Since the beginning of 2021, more than 300 civilians have been massacred in this area, according to official statistics. (ANI/Xinhua)