By 𝔸bdulrazak Tomiwa

Armed attackers killed at least 30 villagers last Thursday in a series of raids on isolated communities in Niger’s Tahoua region, near the border with Nigeria.

The assault took place in the mountainous Birni N’Koni department.

The governor of Tahoua, Colonel Souleymane Amadou Moussa, confirmed the death toll on state radio Monday, stating “30 martyrs fell.” He added that the assailants also stole at least 500 head of livestock before retreating.

State radio and a local resident reported that the attackers arrived heavily armed on numerous motorcycles, targeting three villages. Five people were also wounded in the violence.

While the specific identity of the assailants remains unknown, the Tahoua region is known as a hotbed for both jihadist insurgencies and armed bandits who operate freely across the porous Niger-Nigeria border.

The raids follow a spate of recent assaults in the area, including an attack on a military drone base in early March. Despite a large military deployment, Niger’s junta has struggled to curb rising violence in the region.

Niger is battling multiple insurgencies, including the Islamic State in the Sahel and Al-Qaeda affiliates near its western borders. In the southeast, groups like Boko Haram remain active, mirroring the long-running jihadist violence in neighboring Nigeria.