Johannesburg, March 17, (dpa/GNA) – At least 58 people have been killed in a massacre in Niger in West Africa.
A day of mourning has been declared for Wednesday, the government said in a statement issued on state television.
The attack took place on Monday in the north-west of the country in the Tillaberi region on the border with Mali. It was directed at traders returning from a nearby market.
There are no details available about who may have carried out the attack. No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Terrorist groups that have sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda or Islamic State are active in the countries of the Sahel region.
The government has little control outside the cities, a fact which is not only exploited by jihadist groups, but also by criminal networks.
In the border region with Mali, in particular, there have been repeated serious attacks, such as one on the villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye where more than 100 people were killed and many were injured early this year.
GNA