60 killed in dreadful ‘IS’ terror attack in Niger; second major attack in 7 days

Niamey: 60 people were killed in a terror attack carried out by the terrorist organisation IS in Niger. The attack was carried out in the Tahoua province on the Niger-Mali border. This is the second major attack in the Niger-Mali border region in the last 7 days. Before this, 58 people had been killed in the attack carried out in Tillaberi. The issue of security in the Sahel region has again come on the anvil, given these successive attacks.

On Sunday, an IS-affiliated terrorist organisation launched attacks in three villages in the Tahoua province. The local Mayor, Alfauzazi Isintag, informed that 60 people were killed in the attacks. But the local sources said that the extent of the attacks was much more, and fears are being expressed that the number of casualties will increase. Claims are also being made that this could also be a part of revenge. Suspected terrorists were arrested from this region, over the last few weeks. It is being said that this attack was to avenge these arrests.

This is the second major attack on the Niger-Mali border, in one week. On Monday, 58 people were killed in the terror attacks carried out in Tillaberi region. Although no organisation has accepted the attack’s responsibility, sources expressed suspicion that the attack was carried out either by Boko Haram or an IS-affiliated terrorist organisation. This is the third major terrorist attack in Niger in three months. Before this, 100 people had been killed in the attack carried out in January.

Meanwhile, terrorist organisation has accepted the responsibility of the attack carried out in the last week. IS launched an attack on the military post near the city of Ansongo, in northeastern Mali. As per initial reports, 11 soldiers had been killed in the attack. But it has been exposed that 33 soldiers were killed in the attack. This is the second instance of IS targeting the Mali military in the last one month.

The attacks in Mali and Niger have brought the issue of security in the Sahel region on the anvil again. France and the United States have setup military bases in various countries in this region and have also made deployments for a counter-terrorism mission. But despite this, the attacks of IS and Al Qaeda affiliated organisations are on the rise in this region. This point to the failure of the international campaign in the Sahel region.

West African countries, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Nigeria, and Mauritania, are collectively known as Sahel countries.