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NIAMEY, Niger – Jihadists from the Boko Haram group killed at least 27 people in an attack of “unprecedented savagery” in southeastern Niger, local officials said Sunday.
Other people were injured and some more went missing in Saturday night’s assault on the village of Toumour in the Diffa region, a senior local official said.
Witnesses and other officials confirmed the attack, which occurred hours before municipal and regional elections were held across the country on Sunday.
“Some victims died or were wounded by gunshot wounds, others were burned inside their houses, consumed by the flames of a huge fire caused by the attackers,” said the official.
Between 800 and 1,000 houses, the central market and numerous vehicles were also destroyed in the fire, he added.
About 70 attackers reached Toumour around 1745 GMT on foot, after swimming across Lake Chad, the official said. The attack itself lasted three hours.
“First they attacked the residence of the traditional chief, who barely managed to escape,” he said.
“It was an unprecedented attack of savagery,” said a local elected official who asked not to be named. “Almost 60 percent of the village has been destroyed.”
/ MUF
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