Kouré shooting
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| Kouré shooting | |
|---|---|
| Part of the War in the Sahel | |
 | |
| Location | Kouré, Kollo, Tillabéri, Niger |
| Date | 9 August 2020 |
| Target | French aid workers and Nigerien guides |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Deaths | 8 |
| Perpetrator | Islamic State in the Greater Sahara |
The Kouré shooting was a mass shooting that occurred in Niger on 9 August 2020.[1] The attack left at least 8 civilians dead, six French and two Nigeriens.[2] The attack took place in Kouré, a rural community in Tillabéri Region.[3]
Tillabéri Region, which is in the west of Niger and borders Mali and Burkina Faso, is largely unstable and has been used as a hideout by various Sahel jihadist groups including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).[4] Since 2018, these terrorist groups have spread throughout the Sahel region, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of military personnel and civilians in sporadic attacks. As a result of the attacks, the region has seen extensive developments in security, such as the construction of a new U.S. airbase.[5] In an effort to combat the terrorists, the Nigerien government also restricted the use of motorcycles in January 2019.[6] Despite this, parts of Tillaberi and Tahoua Regions remain under a state of emergency and the French government warns people against visiting vast areas of Niger.[5][7]
