Niger: HRW report warns of escalating Islamic State group attacks on civilians

The NGO Human Rights Watch released a new report Wednesday that warns of a rising number of attacks on civilians from Islamic State-affiliated militants in Niger.

Drawing on around thirty testimonies collected between May and July 2025, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has published a new report detailing an escalating number of attacks from the Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) against civilians.

According to the findings, the IS Sahel executed more than 127 civilians in five attacks in the Tillabéri region in western Niger. The extremist group reportedly also looted homes and burned them to the ground.

During one of these attacks, fighters from the Islamist group killed over 70 worshippers in a mosque in Manda village in June, wounding at least 20 others.

Several witnesses notably said that the armed forces of the country did not do enough to prevent these attacks or protect villagers, despite their requests for protection.

According to data from the NGO ACLED, which collects data on violent events and armed conflicts around the world, IS Sahel has killed about 1,600 civilians since July 2023, when Nigerien armed forces overthrew the government in a coup.

Human Rights Watch said the attacks amount to apparent war crimes and violated international humanitarian law. The NGO also said that it shared its findings with the Nigerien justice ministry in August, but did not receive a response.