More than 70 people were killed and several others injured in terrorist attacks in Niger

India on Monday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in southwestern Niger, which claimed over 70 lives.

The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Niger.”

“India stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Niger in the fight against terrorism. India has always opposed and rejected terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and has urged concerted action by the international community against terrorism, including cross-border terrorism,” the ministry said.

More than 70 innocent civilians were killed and several others received serious injuries on January 2 after terrorists attacked two villages in southwestern part of the African country.

Niger’s Interior Minister Alkache Alhada confirmed that the incident took place in Tchombangou and Zaroumdareye villages near the Malian border.

According to him, soldiers arrived in the area immediately after the terror attacks.

Niger, the landlocked African country, has been facing complex security and humanitarian challenges for long, as it accommodates nearly 230,000 refugees and 250,000 internally displaced persons.

Boko Haram, the notorious terror outfit that has been involved in violence and bloodbath in Niger for several years, killed at least 27 people in the Diffa region in December 2020