At least 21 people killed in Niger armed attack

Twenty-one civilians were killed last week during an attack on a goods transport convoy near Tera, in western Niger, an area regularly hit by unidentified armed men, local media reported over the weekend.

State-run radio Voix du Sahel confirmed the attack occurred at the border junction between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

"Vehicles returning from the weekly market in Tera were attacked on December 5, twelve kilometres (7.5 miles) north of Tera, near Bankilare, by armed bandits," it said.

The Nigerien army is carrying out several operations against militant groups in the Tillaberi region, where these attacks are regularly attributed to "terrorists."

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