Gunmen on motorbikes killed 22 villagers in western Niger Republic during a baptism ceremony, local media and security sources confirmed on Tuesday, September 16. The attack occurred Monday in Takoubatt village, located in the troubled Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso and Mali, where jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) remain active. A local resident said 15 people were shot dead during the baptism, while seven more were killed on the outskirts of the village. Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair, Nigerien human rights activist Maikoul Zodi said on social media. Last week, around 20 soldiers were killed in the same region, underlining the insecurity that has persisted despite the junta maintaining a heavy military presence since seizing power in a coup two years ago. Human Rights Watch urged authorities to do more to protect civilians, noting that IS militants have executed more than 127 villagers and worshippers in Tillaberi in at least five separate attacks since March. According to conflict monitoring group ACLED, nearly 1,800 people have been killed in Niger since October 2024, with three-quarters of the deaths occurring in Tillaberi. Niger Republic, alongside military-led Burkina Faso and Mali, has also expelled French and American forces that had been supporting their fight against jihadist insurgencies.
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