Nigerien and allied forces from neighbouring states killed 75 Boko Haram insurgents in twin-security operations earlier this week in the region where the borders of Niger, Nigeria and Chad converge, Niger’s defence ministry said yesterday.
The two operations by a regional anti-jihadist force took place in the Diffa region in the south and near Lake Chad in neighbouring Nigeria, a statement from the defence ministry said. The figures could not be independently verified, reports said.
The operations on Monday but made public yesterday followed a series of Boko Haram attacks on military positions near the southeastern Nigerien border town of Diffa, the ministry said.
It said 25 insurgents were killed in fighting around 75 km (46.6 miles) south of Diffa and a further 50 in air and artillery strikes by joint Nigerien, Nigerian and Chadian forces in the Lake Chad area.
It added that weapons were seized and a logistics base used by the insurgents destroyed.
The U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday violence in northwestern Nigeria had forced about 42,000 people to flee into Niger since April and raised concerns about the deteriorating security situation in that region.