On Wednesday, roughly 25 people were killed in an attack by Boko Haram on a village in southern Niger, according to Nigerien military officials and Reuters.
On Wednesday, roughly 25 people were killed in an attack by Boko Haram on a village in southern Niger, according to Nigerien military officials and Reuters.
Nigerien military officials informed Reuters that Boko Haram fighters killed five civilians during their attack on the village. However, the Nigerien soldiers arrived quickly and were able to push back the Boko Haram terrorists.
During the counterattack the Nigerien army claimed they killed 20 Boko Haram fighters. Speaking to Reuters one officer confirmed that, “the situation is under control and we [Nigerien army] are carrying out cleanup operations.”
According to Reuters attacks by Boko Haram have seen a marked increase in Niger, Cameroon, and Chad indicating that the group may be increasing its regional strength. However, many are hopeful that the deployment of an 8,700 troop-strong regional task force will push back Boko Haram’s recent gains.
The task force is expected to deploy at the end of the rainy season, according to United Nations (UN) officials.