137 people shot dead by gunmen on motorbikes in Niger

MALI: A number of villages near Niger's troubled border with Mali have been attacked by Niamey (Niger) Gunmen aboard motorcycles, leaving 137 people dead.

The latest village massacres came amid an alarming increase in attacks following the election of Niger's new President Mohammed Bazoom several weeks ago.

According to reports, the killing took place on Sunday, the same day that Niger's Constitutional Court officially declared Bazoum as the winner of February's election.

The day that Niger announced the presidential election would go to a second round on February 21, at least 100 people were killed in the western villages of Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye.

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At least 66 people were killed in another wave of attacks that occurred less than a week ago.

There have been no claims of responsibility for the recent attacks on villages in Niger, but Islamic extremists often admit to being the perpetrators of violence when civilians are killed.

Despite the presence of thousands of regional and international forces, Niger and neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali are fighting the spread of deadly extremist violence, including that of the Islamic State and al-Qaida, which has killed thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

According to analysts, in the Tillaberi region, not only jihadists are active, but counter-terrorism operations against them have also aided the formation of ethnic militias.

As a result, intercommunal tensions have risen, especially near the Mali-Niger border.

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