Attack on a mosque in the country’s southwest that killed at least 44 people
Saifullah Ansar
ISLAMABAD, MAR 23: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on worshippers in Niger that claimed lives of innocent people.
In a message on social media platform X (Sunday), the Prime Minister said Pakistan stands in solidarity with the people of Niger and shares in their grief during this difficult time.
He said the terrorist attack on worshippers during the sacred month of Ramadan is a painful reminder that terrorism recognizes neither faith nor humanity.
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 ISIL (ISIS) armed 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 said 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.
