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Two separate attacks by armed bandits in southwestern Niger have left 16 people dead, state radio reported on Wednesday.
The assailants, whose identities remain unknown, carried out the attacks in a manner resembling recent jihadist raids that have plagued the central Sahel region.
According to state radio, gunmen rounded up villagers in Dioundiou on the night of February 22-23 and opened fire, killing 14 people. Two more people were killed in a neighbouring town two nights later.
Authorities say the Dioundiou area, which borders Nigeria and Benin, has become a stronghold for jihadist groups. The region is also crossed by a 2,000-kilometre (1,200-mile) pipeline transporting Niger’s oil to Benin.
