Iran Strongly Condemns Terror Attack on Niger Mosque
Tehran censured a terrorist attack on a mosque in Niger that has killed dozens of worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan, expressing sympathy with the families of victims.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said on Saturday that the terrorist act, which was carried out in a holy place and during the Friday prayers, was against the principles of Islam and contrary to all international legal and human rights norms.He affirmed Iran’s principled stance on condemnation of all forms of terrorism and violent extremism.The spokesman stressed the importance of further improving cooperation and coordination at various regional and international levels to prevent and combat terrorism.It is necessary to prosecute and punish the perpetrators and instigators of terrorist attacks, he added.Baqaei expressed sympathy with the families of the victims and the government and the nation of Niger over the terrorist attack.
Militants killed at least 44 civilians and severely injured 13 others during an attack on a mosque in Southwest Niger on Friday. Following the raid, the government of Niger declared three days of mourning.West Africa’s Sahel region has seen an uptick in violence in recent years following the rise of armed fighters linked to the Al-Qaeda and Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) terror groups that took over territory in North Mali after the 2012 Tuareg rebellion.Since then, it has spread into neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, and more recently into the North of coastal West African countries such as Togo and Ghana.Niger’s Interior Ministry announced the latest attack occurred early in the afternoon as people were attending a prayer service at the mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.“The heavily armed terrorists surrounded the mosque to carry out their massacre with unusual cruelty,” it noted, adding that the attackers also set fire to a local market and homes.
The defence ministry blamed the attack on the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, or EIGS, an affiliate of ISIL, in a statement late on Friday.The military-run government of Niger frequently fights armed groups in the region, and civilians are often victims of the violence.Since July 2023, at least 2,400 people have been killed in Niger, according to the database of ACLED, a non-governmental organisation that gives armed conflict location and event data.Across the greater Sahel region that encompasses several countries, hundreds of thousands more have been killed and millions displaced as armed groups attack towns and villages as well as government security outposts.The failure of governments to restore security contributed to two coups in Mali, two in Burkina Faso and one in Niger between 2020 and 2023. All three remain under military rule despite regional and international pressure to hold elections.
14:30 - 3 فروردین 1404
2 بازنشر
3853 بازدید
تازه ترین اخبار
- هیهات منا الذله؛ نوای این شبهای ملایریها
- دسترسی رایگان کودکان و نوجوانان به کتابهای کانون پرورش فکری فراهم شد
- آتش زدن شیطان بعل در دامغان
- "نتانیابو" 6 انگشتی شد؛ آیا قصاب زنده است!؟
- سیزدهمین قرار شبانه مردم شهرضا
- سینه دوره خاص دامغانی ها همراه با شعار حماسی
- فیلم | وداع آخر مادر با شهید امنیت
- قدردانی استاندار کهگیلویه و بویراحمد از حضور مردم در روز قدس
- فیلم |راهپیمایی روز قدس در صومعه سرا
- مردم فاروج در سرمای هوا میدان را رها نکردند