Armed men killed 20 civilians traveling on a truck in a western region of Niger where jihadist groups are highly active. The deadly ambush, which locals reported, occurred on Thursday near the town of Komabangou, in a remote part of the region.
The truck, which was coming from the nearby market town of Mehanna, was intercepted by armed bandits near a local gold mine. The ruthless attackers made all of the passengers get off the truck and lie down on the ground before beginning their assault.
The attackers then riddled 19 men with bullets, killing the truck’s driver as well in a brutal and violent display. According to a local source, women were spared from the violence, and two other passengers were able to escape.
A resident said the terrorists had “slaughtered nineteen passengers like cattle,” leaving only two women alive. As of Saturday, the military regime in power had still not commented on this deadly attack against the civilians.
Despite a massive army deployment, violence attributed to jihadists continues to tragically plague the region, targeting both civilians and military personnel. The military-led states of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have recently formed a new joint force of 5,000 troops.
The three countries, united in the Alliance of Sahel States, announced the formation of this force against “terrorist groups.” The defense ministers from these three states recently met in Moscow with their Russian counterpart to discuss their alliance.
Russia has expressed its “readiness to provide comprehensive assistance” to ensure stability and security in the tumultuous region. In recent years, the three Sahelian countries have ousted French and American military presence and grown much closer to Russia.