Armed men on motorbikes opened fire on villagers during a baptism ceremony in Niger’s western Tillabéri region, killing 22 people, according to local reports.
A resident told AFP that 15 people were shot dead at the ceremony before the attackers moved to a nearby area and killed seven more. Civil society activist Maikoul Zodi said on social media that gunmen “opened fire, sowing death and terror” as families gathered.
Authorities confirmed an attack occurred but have not released casualty figures. Independent verification of the toll is difficult due to access restrictions and the risk of reprisals against witnesses and media.
The assault comes amid a surge in jihadist violence linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates across the Sahel. Human Rights Watch reported last week that attacks in Niger have escalated since March, with more than 127 villagers and worshippers summarily killed, homes looted and burned, and warning signs allegedly ignored by authorities.
On Wednesday, 14 Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush in Tillabéri after responding to reports of cattle theft, the army said in its weekly bulletin.
Niger has been under military rule since 2023, when Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani deposed elected President Mohamed Bazoum. The junta, alongside military-led neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, has expelled French and U.S. forces, turned to Russia and Turkey for security cooperation, and formed a regional alliance to fight insurgents. Despite the shift, violence has persisted.