A new attack in the so-called "three borders" area.

Several dozen people - members of self-defense militias - including the mayor of Banibangou commune were killed on Tuesday in western Niger, in the Tillabéri region, local sources reported to AFP on Thursday (November 4th). .

"In this attack, there were around sixty dead, nine missing and fifteen survivors. The mayor of Banibangou commune was among those killed and his body was found," said a deputy from the region of Banibangou. Tillabéri.

"It was local authorities, including prefects, who were there to see the bodies, who officially confirmed this record to me," added this parliamentarian, without giving details of the circumstances of the attack.

Motorcycle attackers

According to a local source, "60 elements" of armed militias from several villages in the territory of Banibangou commune, the "Vigilance Committees", were killed during this "terrorist attack" which targeted "84 elements of the vigilance committees. from Banibangou by motorbike, notably headed by the mayor "of the town.

The members of these committees had "a clash in Adab-Dab, a locality located about 55 km north-west of Banibangou, with elements of the EIGS (Islamic State in the Great Sahara) heavily armed" and also circulating in moto, again reported this source.

The attackers returned "to Mali, taking the bodies of their fighters", she said.

A security source "confirmed" the attack "which occurred Tuesday at around 9:30 am (8:30 am GMT)", without giving any results.

Peasants regularly targeted by armed men

According to a former mayor of the region, villagers had recently formed a self-defense committee to watch over peasants regularly targeted by armed men in their fields.

Since the beginning of the year, suspected jihadists have increased bloody assaults against civilians in the Banibangou area and neighboring municipalities in the Tillabéri region.

This immense and unstable region of 100,000 km2 is located in the "three borders" area between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, the scene since 2017 of murderous actions by armed groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

With AFP

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