Armed assailants on motorcycles killed at least 21 civilians in an attack on a public transport bus in western Niger, the army reported, marking another deadly incident in the violence-plagued Sahel region.
The attack occurred Thursday near Tera, approximately 175 kilometers west of the capital Niamey and close to the Burkina Faso border. The army called it a “hateful and inhumane act” in a weekend statement, noting that one soldier was killed the following day when a military vehicle struck an improvised explosive device in an apparent reprisal attack.
The incident occurred in Niger’s Tillaberi region, which has become a focal point for escalating violence between military forces and local armed groups. The attack highlights continuing security challenges in the Sahel, where military governments that seized power since 2020 in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have struggled to contain insurgencies despite promises of improved safety.
Niger’s recent order for U.S. forces to withdraw has left Washington without a military presence in the Sahel, where thousands have been killed and millions displaced by ongoing violence.
