Brutal Execution of 127 Civilians by Jihadists in Niger Highlights Escalating Violence

Sat Dec 20 2025 04:57:55 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent Human Rights Watch report reveals that Islamist insurgents in Niger have executed 127 individuals, raising concerns over the military junta's ability to handle the growing insurgency amid ongoing violence.

Nearly 130 civilians have been executed by Islamist insurgents in Niger since March, according to a Human Rights Watch report. The attacks pose a significant challenge to the military junta in power, which has struggled to contain the violence from jihadist groups. The spate of brutal incidents, including a mass shooting at a mosque, raises urgent questions about the safety of civilians and the effectiveness of the security response.

Nearly 130 people have been summarily executed by Islamist insurgents in Niger in separate attacks since March, a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) says.

The rights group states that gunmen carried out a series of brutal attacks, including a mass murder at a mosque in the western Tillabéri region in June, where over 70 worshippers were shot dead during prayers. There were bodies everywhere, one on top of the other, a local woman, who lost three of her sons in the attack, was quoted by HRW as saying.

This wave of violence poses a major blow to the credibility of Niger's military junta, which had promised to curb the insurgency after seizing power from President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023. According to HRW, approximately 1,600 civilians have been killed by Islamic State (IS) group fighters in Niger since the coup.

The jihadist groups have also destroyed schools and religious sites, imposing severe restrictions on freedoms based on their interpretation of Islam. Islamist armed groups are targeting the civilian population in western Niger and committing horrific abuses, stated Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior researcher at HRW.

Reports indicate that the military has not responded adequately to warnings of potential attacks and has ignored villagers' requests for protection. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks documented by HRW, but eyewitnesses have attributed them to IS fighters, who are identifiable by their distinctive red-banded turbans.

The Tillabéri region, bordering Burkina Faso and Mali, has been a focal point of the insurgency for the past decade. In response to the ongoing violence, Niger and its neighboring countries have formed an alliance to confront the jihadist threat, increasingly looking towards Russia and Turkey for security support instead of traditional Western alliances.

The urgency of the situation is growing as the junta faces pressure to develop more effective strategies to combat the violence and protect civilians from these brutal attacks.