NIAMEY, Niger, July 18, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Niger's army said Wednesday that "terrorists" killed seven civilians this week in a raid on a village in the west of the country.

"Terrorists on motorbikes attacked the village of Dosso Kouregou... killing seven civilians, and stole cattle," the army said in a statement, without specifying the exact date.

"Operations are ongoing to hunt down and neutralise the perpetrators."
It added that anti-terrorism forces had killed 13 "terrorists" and arrested 29 others in the region before the attack.

Dosso Kouregou lies near Kokorou in the western Tillaberi region.
Armed groups killed 20 soldiers in Kokorou on June 25, sparking a deadly military response.

The region lies near the borders of Mali and Burkina Faso, a haven for jihadist groups linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda.