16:17
At
least 20 members of the Islamist militia Boko Haram group were killed on Wednesday in Southern Niger by Niger soldiers.
The
militants had staged an attack on a village in the southern region of Niger
after which clashes ensued between them and Niger’s military, the army’s
officials are reported to have said.
The
Boko Haram fighters killed five civilians in their initial attack on the
village located in Bosso district before Niger soldiers drove them back,
killing around 20 of them, the officers said.
“Reacting
quickly, the government’s forces were able to push them back. Most of the Boko
Haram elements have been neutralized,” said one of the officers, based in the
Diffa border region.
Boko
Haram has in recent months increased cross-border attacks into Niger, Chad and
Cameroon from its strongholds in north eastern Nigeria.
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