6 French citizens, 2 guides killed by gunmen at giraffe park

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger says unidentified gunmen have killed six French citizens and two Nigerien guides visiting a wildlife park east of Niger’s capital. The adviser to Niger’s interior minister told The Associated Press the attack took place in Koure where the West African nation has a giraffe reserve. The protected national park contains dense vegetation and is about 70 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of the capital. Hundreds visit each year to see its distinctive giraffes. The park is in the same general region where jihadists linked to Islamic State killed four U.S. soldiers and five Nigeriens in 2017. Violence by groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida has been mounting in the Sahel region.