Niger Village Attack 'Kills around 79 People'

According to Reuters news agency, alleged Islamist militants have targeted two villages in Niger, killing about 79 people.  

Around 49 people were killed and 17 wounded in the village of Tchombangou, while another 30 died in Zaroumdareye, near the western border of Niger with Mali, reports BBC.

In Africa's Sahel region, there have been many recent violent incidents carried out by militant groups.

France said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Mali.

Hours earlier, in a separate attack in Mali on Monday, a faction with links to al-Qaeda said it was behind the killing of three French troops.

France has been leading a coalition of West African and European allies in the West African region against Islamist militants.

But ethnic violence, human and drug trafficking, and banditry continue to affect countries like Niger and Mali.

News of the latest attacks on two villages in Niger was confirmed by the government to the French RFI news outlet.

Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said the soldiers had been sent to protect the area, but he said how many casualties there had been.

The Tillaberi country, where the villages are located, has been in a state of emergency since 2017, and attacks by jihadist groups are common throughout Niger.

Last month, Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram killed at least 27 people in Diffa region in the south-east.

The latest attacks also come amid national elections in Niger, as President Mahamadou Issoufou steps down after two five-year terms.