At least 31 civilians have been killed in an armed attack in western Niger near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, highlighting the persistent insecurity in a region long plagued by jihadist violence, local sources said on Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Sunday in Bosiye village, located in Niger’s Tillaberi region within the volatile tri-border area where Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali converge. The zone has for years been a stronghold for jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
A resident told AFP that 30 people were killed instantly during the assault, while one of five injured victims later died at a health facility. A local student union also confirmed the death toll, describing the attack as “odious and barbaric” and expressing shock and grief over the loss of lives.
Tillaberi has become Niger’s most violent region, with conflict monitor ACLED describing it as the “deadliest region across the central Sahel” in 2025, recording more than 1,200 deaths, most of them civilians. Overall, nearly 2,000 people were killed by jihadist violence across Niger last year, according to the organisation.
The area has witnessed repeated attacks in recent months. In September, the mayor of Gorouol, the local government area where Bosiye is located, was killed in an ambush, while a week earlier, gunmen on motorcycles killed 22 villagers in Takoubatt, also in Tillaberi.
Niger’s military authorities, who seized power in a 2023 coup, have struggled to stem the violence despite deploying a large military presence in the region. Human Rights Watch reported in September that Islamic State fighters had summarily executed more than 127 villagers and worshippers in five attacks in Tillaberi since March.
Beyond the west, Niger is also battling Islamist insurgency in its southeastern region, where Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), remain active.
Following the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s military leadership has strengthened ties with neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, while expelling French and US forces previously involved in counterterrorism efforts. The three junta-led states have since formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and announced plans to deploy a 5,000-strong joint force to combat militant groups.
