Six French tourists, their local guide and driver were killed by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles on Sunday in an area of southwestern Niger, officials said.
Tillaberi Region governor, Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella spoke to AFP stating, “There are eight dead: two Nigeriens including a guide and a driver while the other six are French. We are managing the situation, we will give more information later,” he added without indicating who was responsible for the attack.
According to a source close to the environmental services, the attack happened around 11.30 am (1030 GMT) six kilometers (four miles) east of the town of Koure.
The source told AFP that, “Most of the victims were shot. We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene.”
“We don’t know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists.”
The tourists’ vehicle belonged to the French Humanitarian organization ACTED, the source added.
