Gunmen attacked a village in western Niger over the weekend, killing at least 31 people, student organizations and a resident said Tuesday.
The attack took place on Sunday in the commune of Gorouol, in the region of Tillaberi, according to a joint press release from the Union of Students from the Commune of Gorouol, the Union of Nigerien Students and other student organizations.
"Thirty-one people were executed by lawless individuals, and four others were hospitalized in critical condition", the statement said. It does not specify who is responsible for the attack and no group has claimed responsibility for it.
Several jihadist groups that target both civilians and the military operate in the Niger, in particular a branch affiliated with theIslamic State.
Hamidou Amadou, a resident of Gorouol, confirmed to The Associated Press that at least 31 people had been killed and blamed the attack on the Islamic State militant group in the Greater Sahara.
The Tillabéri region borders the Mali and of Burkina Faso, two other countries struggling with one growing insurgency, and has been the scene of attacks by extremist groups over the past decade.
Niger's military government came to power in 2023 after overthrowing the country's democratically elected government, promising to end the violence. However, data shows that attacks have increased, a trend also seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, where the army seized power following coups.
According to a report published last September by Human Rights Watch, the Islamic State has intensified its attacks against civilians since March 2025. The human rights organization has documented at least five attacks in Tillabéri, where the militant group is believed to have killed "more than 127 villagers and Muslim worshipers, and burned and looted dozens of houses".
