NIAMEY, March 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 44 civilians were killed and 13 others injured in a terrorist attack on Friday in a village in Niger's western region of Tillaberi, authorities said later in the day.

It was a barbaric attack carried out by terrorists of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), said a communique from Interior Minister Mohamed Toumba.

The heavily armed terrorists carried out their massacre at a mosque in Fambita in the rural town of Kokorou at around 14:00 local time (1300 GMT), when Muslim worshippers were performing the collective Friday prayer, and set fire to the local market and homes during their retreat, said the communique.

Four injured people are in serious condition, it said.

In the communique, Toumba vowed to track down and prosecute "the perpetrators, accomplices, planners and collaborators."

The Kokorou commune is located in the "three borders" region, where Niger shares borders with Mali and Burkina Faso. This area has become a hotbed of insecurity in recent years, plagued by attacks from various jihadist groups. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)