(Reuters) -At least 30 people were killed in an airstrike in western Niger, two sources told Reuters, the latest casualties in a part of the country hit hard by Islamist militant attacks and counterinsurgency operations.

The strike took place on Monday near a weekly market in the town of Injar in the Tillabery region that borders Burkina Faso and Mali, the sources said. The area is a hub of activity by groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda that all three military-run governments have struggled to combat.

A witness and resident of the area said the death toll was 37, while a security source said it was “more than 30.”

The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The security source spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief the medi

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