Niger’s government declared three days of mourning following a deadly attack that killed 44 civilians in the southwestern part of the country. The attack, carried out by militants from the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), took place on Friday in the rural town of Kokorou, in the Fambita neighborhood.
According to the country’s interior ministry, the attackers targeted a mosque during afternoon prayers, surrounding the building and committing what was described as a “savage” massacre. In addition to the 44 fatalities, 13 others were wounded in the assault.
The attackers also set fire to a local market and nearby homes, further intensifying the destruction. The ministry has vowed to track down the attackers and bring them to justice.
This attack occurred in a region near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali, areas that have seen long-standing violence from groups like IS and Al-Qaeda. The violence has affected both military forces and civilians alike, as Niger’s junta-run government fights to control the escalating terrorist threat.
Since July 2023, more than 2,400 people have lost their lives due to violence in Niger, according to reports from the ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project).