Several injured as gunmen open fire on public transport bus in Niger

Several passengers were injured on Thursday when unidentified gunmen ambushed a public transport bus along the Niaktiré–Makolondi route in Niger Republic’s volatile Tillabéri region.

The attackers opened fire on the vehicle near Makolondi, a community close to Niger’s western border with Burkina Faso, an area plagued by escalating insecurity linked to extremist groups. The bus was riddled with bullets, sustaining significant damage.

Counter-insurgency expert Zagozola Makama, who reported the incident, noted that while no group has claimed responsibility, the attack fits a pattern of violence frequently attributed to jihadist factions operating in the region, including Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

Security forces have not yet issued an official statement regarding the attack.