Niger Declares National Mourning After Deadly Mosque Attack

The government of Niger has declared three days of national mourning after an attack on a mosque in the Fambita area of Kokorou town resulted in at least 44 civilian deaths.

The assault occurred during Friday prayers, with heavily armed assailants surrounding the mosque and committing what authorities described as a "massacre of rare cruelty." The attackers also set fire to a local market and several homes.

Thirteen individuals were seriously injured in the incident. The Interior Ministry has attributed the attack to the Islamic State in the Great Sahara (EIGS), an affiliate of ISIL (ISIS). This tragic event is part of a broader pattern of escalating violence in West Africa's Sahel region, where armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL have been increasingly active.

The Nigerien government has vowed to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice.