On Saturday, the country’s Interior Ministry announced that the “Islamic State” group in the Greater Sahara had carried out a deadly attack on a mosque in southwestern Niger. The violence has escalated since Niger experienced a military coup in 2023, resulting in the country ending its counter-terrorism partnerships with various former allies.

The mosque attack, which took place around 2 p.m. during Friday prayers, saw heavily armed terrorists surround and massacre the worshippers with brutal cruelty. The gunmen also set fire to a market and houses before leaving the scene. As of Saturday, the death toll stood at 44, with 13 people injured, four of them seriously. In response, Niger’s military-led transitional government declared three days of national mourning for the victims of the attack. Over 99% of the country’s population of approximately 28 million are Muslim. Two days before the mosque attack, Niger’s army claimed to have killed 45 members of the “Islamic State” group in the Greater Sahara.

Fambita, the location of the mosque attack, is in Niger’s southwestern Tillaberi region, which borders Mali and Burkina Faso. This area has become a stronghold for Islamist terrorist groups, as all three countries have undergone military coups leading to severed ties with Western allies, including France, in favor of Russia’s Wagner Group. Despite pledges to strengthen cooperation through the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States, the security situation in the region has significantly deteriorated since the juntas came to power.

(The text was edited by Louis Oelofse)

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/niger-islamic-state-kills-dozens-in-mosque-attack/a-72007019?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf