Kouré shooting

The Kouré shooting was a mass shooting that occurred in Niger on 9 August 2020.[1] The attack left at least 8 civilians dead, six French and two Nigeriens.[2] The attack took place in Kouré, a rural community in Tillabéri Region.[3]

Kouré shooting
Part of the Insurgency in the Maghreb
LocationKouré, Kollo, Tillabéri, Niger
Date9 August 2020
TargetFrench aid workers and Nigerien guides
Attack type
Mass shooting
Deaths8

Background

Tillabéri Region, which is in the west of Niger and borders Mali and Burkina Faso, is largely unstable and has been used as a hideout by various Sahel jihadist groups including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).[4] Since 2018, these terrorist groups have spread throughout the Sahel region, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of military personnel and civilians in sporadic attacks. As a result of the attacks, the region has seen extensive developments in security, such as the construction of a new U.S. airbase.[5] In an effort to combat the terrorists, the Nigerien government also restricted the use of motorcycles in January 2019.[6] Despite this, parts of Tillaberi and Tahoua Regions remain under a state of emergency and the French government warns people against visiting vast areas of Niger.[5][7]

Shooting

The shooting occurred around 11:30am (10:30 GMT) six kilometres (four miles) east of the town of Kouré, Kollo Department, Tillabéri Region, where a wildlife park is located. The region is visited by tourists and purportedly hosts the last West African giraffes.[4] Eight people were killed in the attack. The victims were identified as two Nigeriens, of whom one was the president of the guides at the park while the other was the driver of the group, both aged 50; the other six were French citizens, all of whom aid workers aged between 25 and 30.[8] So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Seven of the victims were shot dead, while the French woman who initially escaped was later kidnapped and murdered; an empty magazine was found at the scene. "They [the attackers] came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists" said the governor.[9]

See also

References
  1. "6 French Citizens, 2 Guides Killed by Gunmen at Giraffe Park". Associated Press. August 9, 2020 – via NYTimes.com.
  2. "Gunmen kill six French aid workers in Niger attack". August 9, 2020 – via www.bbc.com.
  3. "Gunmen kill six French aid workers, their driver and guide in Niger, minister says". August 9, 2020 – via www.reuters.com.
  4. "Six French tourists among eight killed by gunmen in Niger, local governor says". France 24. 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  5. "Niger: French nationals killed in suspected militant attack in Koure (Tillaberi region) August 9". GardaWorld. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  6. "Twenty killed in attacks on several villages in western Niger". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  7. Reuters (2020-08-09). "Gunmen Kill Six French Aid Workers, Their Driver and Guide in Niger: Minister". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  8. Attaque au Niger: qui sont les victimes ? (in French)
  9. "Gunmen kill 8 in Niger's Koure, including six French nationals". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 2020-08-09.


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