• The Ministry of Home Affairs said an attack occurred while people participated in prayer services.
• The “barbarian” attack occurred in areas near the border with Burkina Faso and Mali.
• The ministry vowed to pursue the perpetrator and conduct a trial.
  

Niahmi: The Niger government announced three days of condolences on Friday after the Great Sahara group killed 44 civilians in the southwestern part of the country by Daesh.

The Home Ministry said in a statement on state television that the victim was killed in a “barbaric” attack at a mosque in the rural town of Kokorou.

It said 13 more people were injured.

The attack occurred earlier in the afternoon, with people attending prayer services at the mosque, the ministry said.

It said: “Heavy terrorists carried out massacres around the mosque with unusual cruelty.”

The ministry vowed to pursue the perpetrator and to try.

The attack took place near the border between Burkina Faso and Mali, where militants associated with the Daesh Group and Al-Qaeda have been active for many years.

Government forces operated by the Niger government often fight militants in the region, and civilians are often victims of violence.

Since July 2023, at least 2,400 people have been killed in Niger, according to the ACLED database, a non-governmental organization that provides data on locations and incidents of armed conflict.