NIAMEY, Niger (AFP) — Armed bandits killed around 20 people in a village in Niger’s restive Tillaberi region earlier this week, public radio reported on Wednesday.

The news came a day after the defence ministry said suspected jihadists had killed seven soldiers in the region plagued for years by rebels linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

“The Tillaberi region… was plunged into mourning following an attack perpetrated by armed bandits on Monday May 20, 2024” on the village of Djambala, La Voix du Sahel radio station said.

The attack “unfortunately caused the loss of around 20 people”, it added.

Niger’s military strongman Abdourahamane Tiani has asked his youth minister and government spokesman Abdramane Amadou to “express the compassion of the Nigerien people and present condolences to the victims’ families”, the radio station said.

Tillaberi is in the vast and unstable “three borders” region between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, where insurgents have carried out attacks for years despite the massive deployment of anti-jihadist forces.

On Tuesday, the defence ministry said its forces killed “several dozen terrorists” after an attack on a military position in Tillaberi on Monday that left seven soldiers dead.

Niger is ruled by military leaders who seized power in a July coup, citing a worsening security situation as justification for the power grab.

Niamey also faces violence by Boko Haram jihadists and their rivals Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) from the southeastern region of Diffa near Nigeria.