NIGER: Gunmen kill 6 French aide workers, two others

A tragic scene played out at a wildlife park in Niger Republic when heavily armed men shot and killed no fewer than eight people including six French aid workers, and a Nigerien guide.

According to officials in the West African country, the victims were attacked on Sunday in a giraffe reserve near Koure, a town about 65km (40 miles) from the capital, Niamey. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

“They were intercepted and killed,” Tidjani Ibrahim Katiella, the governor of Tillaberi region, told Reuters news agency.

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A source close to Niger’s environmental services said the assault took place around 11:30am (10:30 GMT).

“Most of the victims were shot … We found a magazine emptied of its cartridges at the scene,” the source said.

“We do not know the identity of the attackers but they came on motorcycles through the bush and waited for the arrival of the tourists,” the source added.

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