At least 60 people, including a local mayor, have been killed in a gun attack in the African country of Niger.
The West African government confirmed on Thursday that a gunman had been killed in an attack in the southwestern part of the country. News from Al Jazeera.
The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a Niger border crossing. The area, bordering Niger’s two neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, has been the focus of government forces’ clashes with Islamic State (IS) and al Qaeda-linked militants in recent years.
On Tuesday, gunmen attacked a visiting delegation led by the mayor of the town of Banibangou in the western Tilaberi region bordering neighboring Mali. The site of the attack is about 50 kilometers from the city. The incident took place in the attack.
Meanwhile, the death toll was confirmed on Thursday despite the attack on Tuesday. On Thursday, Interior Minister Alkachi Alhada said on state television that 15 people had returned alive after the attack and that a military operation was under way.
The latest attack took place in Adab-Dab village in Tilaberi area. The gunmen came on a motorbike and attacked.
Local officials have blamed a group linked to Islamic State for previous attacks in the Tilaberi region west of Niger. At least 100 civilians were killed in an attack by the militant group in January.
Earlier, in 2020 and 2019, terrorists attacked the Niger army in the area. In 2020, 60 people were killed and in 2019, 69 people were killed.
