NIAMEY, Niger (BN24) — Armed attackers killed two Indian nationals and abducted another in Niger’s conflict-ridden southwest this week, Indian officials confirmed Friday, in a deadly incident that underscores mounting risks for foreign workers in the region.
The assault took place Tuesday in the Dosso region, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital, Niamey. According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Niger, authorities are working to repatriate the bodies of the deceased and are coordinating with local officials to ensure the safe release of the third Indian national taken by the gunmen.
Local media in Niger reported that all three men were employed at a construction site when the attack occurred. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the violence.
Foreigners have become increasingly frequent targets of armed groups operating in Niger, particularly in the country’s restive western and southwestern zones. In recent months, several international workers have been kidnapped, including an Austrian aid worker who had spent more than two decades in Niger, a Swiss woman abducted from her home in April, and five Indian workers taken in a separate incident that same month.
Niger has long grappled with jihadist insurgencies tied to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and the security crisis has deepened since the military overthrew the civilian government in July 2023. Analysts say the coup has weakened coordination with international counterterrorism partners, exacerbating instability in areas like Dosso and Tillaberi.
The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) reported that June was among the most lethal months in recent history for Niger, with IS-affiliated militants launching coordinated assaults across multiple regions. More than 100 civilians were reportedly killed in those attacks, marking a grim resurgence of mass violence in rural communities.
As the country continues to confront escalating insecurity, attacks such as the one in Dosso highlight the acute danger facing both local populations and foreign workers.
AP
