Attacks by alleged jihadists in villages in the Tahoua region of Niger left 137 dead, the government said, in another massacre that highlighted the enormous security challenges facing new President Mohamed Bazoum.
“By treating civilians systematically as targets now, these armed bandits have taken a step forward in horror and brutality,” said government spokesman Zakaria Abdourahamane in a statement read on public television on Monday.
The jump in the death toll, which had been at least 60 earlier this Monday, would make Sunday’s attacks the most deadly alleged jihadist massacres ever committed in Niger.
Armed men who arrived on motorcycles attacked the villages of Intazayene, Bakorat and Wistane near the border with Mali, shooting “everything that moved,” said a local official.
“The government condemns these brutal acts perpetrated by individuals who do not know the faith or the law,” said Abdourahamane.
Less than a week ago, he read another bleak announcement about attacks that killed at least 66 people.
The government declared three days of national morning from Tuesday.
“Enhanced security and health measures will be taken in the region and an investigation has been launched to find the perpetrators of these cowardly and criminal acts and take them to court,” the government statement said.
The poorest nation in the world according to the UN development rankings for 189 countries, Niger is also battling jihadist insurgencies that have spread from Mali and Nigeria.
Hundreds of lives have been lost, almost half a million people have fled their homes and devastating damage has been inflicted on the former French colony.
The three villages are located in the arid Tahoua region of western Niger, bordering the Tillaberi region, in a border region known for jihadist attacks.