22 Killed as Armed Men Attack Village Baptism in Niger’s Tillaberi Region

Armed men riding motorcycles have killed 22 villagers in western Niger, most of them attending a baptism ceremony, local media and security sources reported on Tuesday.

The attack occurred on Monday in Takoubatt village, Tillaberi region, which borders Burkina Faso and Mali — an area plagued by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

According to a local resident, 15 people were gunned down during the baptism, before the attackers moved to the village outskirts, where they killed seven more. The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, described the assault as devastating.

Local outlet Elmaestro TV described the massacre as a “gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people cowardly killed without reason or justification.”

Human rights activist Maikoul Zodi condemned the killings on social media, saying, “Once again, the Tillaberi region has been struck by barbarism, plunging innocent families into mourning and despair.”

Despite a heavy military presence, Niger’s junta — which seized power two years ago — has struggled to contain the persistent threat of jihadist violence in Tillaberi.