Abidjan (AFP) - At least 17 civilians, including four children, were killed in western Niger in a drone strike “apparently” carried out by the army on January 6, Human Rights Watch announced in a statement Monday.

Published on: 09/02/2026 - 11:19

The human rights organization reported that "a strike apparently carried out by a Nigerien military drone killed at least 17 civilians, including four children, and injured at least 13 others in a crowded market in western Niger on January 6," explaining that the strike "also led to the killing of three Islamist fighters."

Human Rights Watch added, "The attack occurred in the village of Kokoloko in the Tillaberi region, about 120 kilometers west of the capital, Niamey, and less than three kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso."

She explained, "Witnesses reported that between 10:00 and 1:00 p.m. on January 6, they saw a drone flying twice over Kokoloko and then dropping munitions on the village around 1:30 p.m., while hundreds of people were in the market."

The organization stressed that the strike constitutes "a violation of the law of war, which prohibits indiscriminate attacks, and may amount to a war crime."

Jihadist groups are active in western and southeastern Niger.

Dozens of civilians were killed in September in western Niger in air strikes carried out by the army targeting jihadists, according to local sources.

The military authorities ruling Nigeria are facing difficulty in confronting the attacks of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, which is linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS, which are also active in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the end of January, ISIS claimed responsibility for an unprecedented attack on Niamey Airport.

© 2026 AFP

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