Niger bus and truck attack leaves 21 dead near Burkina Faso

At least 21 people, including two policemen, were killed Wednesday in an attack by alleged jihadists on a bus and truck in southwestern Niger, near Burkina Faso, a local security source told AFP on Thursday.

“A terrorist attack carried out on Wednesday afternoon by heavily armed individuals in motorcycles and vehicles left 19 dead among passengers on a bus, including two policemen, and two others killed in the attack on a truck,” the source reported.

The bus and truck were set on fire, the source added on condition of anonymity.

The two occupants of the truck carrying fruits and vegetables were burned to death, while the attack on the bus also left five seriously injured, including a policeman, who were transferred to the capital Niamey, the source added.

Seven surviving passengers of the bus were found, including four women and three men.

The region of “the three borders” between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali has been, since 2017, the scene of bloody actions by jihadist movements linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

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