Gunmen ambush bus near Burkina Faso border, several injured

A public transport bus came under heavy gunfire on Thursday along the Niaktiré–Makolondi route in Niger Republic’s conflict-prone Tillabéri region, leaving several passengers injured.

The ambush occurred near Makolondi, a community situated close to Niger’s western border with Burkina Faso—a zone increasingly gripped by violence from extremist groups.

Eyewitnesses said the bus was sprayed with bullets, resulting in severe damage and multiple casualties among the passengers.

Security analyst Zagozola Makama, who reported the attack, indicated that no group has yet claimed responsibility. However, the incident bears the hallmarks of similar assaults often linked to jihadist groups operating in the Sahel, particularly Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

Tillabéri has long been a flashpoint in Niger’s battle against insurgent violence, and this latest incident highlights the persistent threat to civilians traveling through the region.