Suspected extremist gunmen kill 25 in southwestern Niger

By DALATOU MAMANE
Associated Press

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — At least 25 people were killed by unidentified gunmen in an attack earlier this week in southwest Niger, the government said on Wednesday. It is the latest in a string of violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in the conflict-ridden West African nation, particularly along the border with Mali. Alkache Alhada, the interior minister, described the attack as “cowardly” and said security sweeps in the area are underway. Laith Alkhouri, CEO of Intelonyx Intelligence Advisory security firm, cited “lackluster security measures that keep the borders porous” as one of the contributing factors for such attacks.