Daesh attack on mosque in southwest Niger claims 44 civilian lives

At least 44 civilians were killed in a brutal attack on a mosque in southwest Niger, authorities confirmed on March 21, attributing the assault to terrorists affiliated with the Daesh in the Greater Sahara group.

The victims were targeted during a “savage” attack on the mosque in the Fambita district of Kokorou, a rural town in Niger, according to a statement from the country’s interior ministry, which was broadcast on state television, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

The ministry also reported that 13 others were injured in the assault.

The attack occurred early in the afternoon while people were gathered at the mosque for a prayer service. “The heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque to carry out their massacre with unusual cruelty,” the statement detailed, adding that the attackers set fire to a local market and nearby homes in the area.

The Nigerian government has vowed to pursue those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice. In the aftermath of the assault, the government declared three days of mourning to honour the victims.

This attack took place in a region near the borders of Burkina Faso and Mali, an area that has been plagued by violence from Daesh and Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists for years. Niger's military, under the junta-run government, regularly combats insurgent forces in the region, where civilians are often caught in the crossfire.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), at least 2,400 people have been killed in Niger since July 2023 due to the ongoing insurgencies in the area.

By Tamilla Hasanova