Armed men killed 14 civilians in an attack on a village in western Niger, the government said on Monday. 

The area near Niger's restive border with Mali is prone to jihadist attacks. 

What we know about the attack 

The attack took place on Sunday when shooters "targeted civilians, killing 14, including nine working in fields," the Interior Ministry said, adding that one person was wounded.

Gunmen on motorbikes opened fire at around 3 p.m. in a village in the Banibangou district, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border with Mali, according to the ministry. 

An investigation was underway to bring trial those responsible for "these cowardly and barbaric attacks," the ministry said.

Violence plagues tri-border region

Banibangou is located in what is known as the three-borders region, between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. 

For years, the area has been the center of deadly attacks by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. 

Similar attacks have repeatedly occurred in the region despite security efforts by authorities. Gunmen on motorbikes flee across the border into Mali after their raids. 

An attack by suspected jihadists in the same district left 66 people dead in March. 

Last month, 19 people were killed in an attack on villages in Tondikiwindi, in a neighboring district. 

Some 1,200 Chadian soldiers are deployed in the three-borders region by the G5 Sahel group — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. 

fb/msh (AFP, Reuters)