At least 31 civilians have been killed in an armed attack on a village in western Niger, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali, an area plagued by persistent jihadist violence, local sources said on Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Sunday in Bosiye village, located in the Tillaberi region within the volatile tri-border zone where Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali meet. The area has remained a hotspot for violence by jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for nearly a decade.
A resident told AFP that 30 villagers were killed instantly during the assault, while one of five people who sustained injuries later died at a health facility, bringing the death toll to 31.
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The incident was also confirmed by a local student union, which described the attack as “odious and barbaric” and expressed deep shock and sadness over the loss of lives.
The Tillaberi region has witnessed repeated violence in recent months. In September, the mayor of Gorouol—the local government area that includes Bosiye—was killed in an ambush. The mayor had been appointed by Niger’s military authorities.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Tillaberi emerged as the deadliest region in the central Sahel in 2025, underscoring the worsening security crisis in the area.