A tragic ambush near Niger's border left at least 37 villagers dead as they traveled to a local market alongside members of a self-defense group.
Sadly, women and children were among those killed.
The attack happened in Tillaberi, an area already struggling with frequent violence.
Tillaberi hosts displaced amid cross-border attacks
Tillaberi sits at the crossroads of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, making it a hotspot for attacks by groups linked to al-Qaida and ISIS.
Tillaberi also hosted just under half of the 450,000 people registered as displaced in Niger last year.
In response, Niger's army has tolerated the forming of self-defence militias by villagers and teamed up with neighboring countries on joint security efforts to push back against the rising threat.