Three days of national mourning for attack victims

Niger is starting three days of national mourning after 58 people were killed by gunmen in two separate attacks near the border with Mali.

Residents of the Western Tillaberi region said suspected militants targeted vehicles carrying traders returning from local markets on Monday.

It’s not clear who carried out the killings, but the region has suffered frequent attacks by armed groups linked to the Islamic State group and al Qaeda.

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In January, more than 100 villagers were killed in the region in one of Niger’s worst ever attacks.