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Nigerien army kills over 30 Boko Haram militants

Nigerien soldiers patrol in Bosso, near the Nigerian border, on May 25, 2015. (AFP photo)

The Nigerien army has killed over 30 Boko Haram Takfiri militants during a recent massive security operation in a troubled region of the Western Africa country, military sources say.

Nigerien military spokesman Colonel Moustapha Ledru said in a statement on Monday that at least 31 members of Boko Haram were killed and several senior militant commanders were detained during the large-scale operation.

“The armed forces launched a military operation against Boko Haram, following an attack carried out by the latter on one of the towns in the country during the middle of last week, which led to the deaths of 15 people and four others being injured,” the statement read.  

The spokesman did not mention the the exact timing or location of the operation.  

The deadly Boko Haram attack last week took place in southeast Niger, where the militants fired on locals who were praying in a village near the town of Bosso.  

Bosso is located on the border with Nigeria, where the militant group is based.

In June, at least 40 civilians were killed after Boko Haram Takfiri militants attacked two villages in southern Niger. After killing the villagers, the militants set fire to their houses in the villages.

A series of attacks by Boko Haram Takfiri militants also claimed the lives of at least 58 people in April across Niger.

Boko Haram started its campaign of terror in Nigeria in 2009. The Takfiri group's militancy has claimed the lives of some 15,000 people over the past years.

Vehicles belonging to members of the Niger and Chadian armed forces are seen on May 25, 2015 in Malam Fatori, in northern Nigeria, near the border with Niger. (AFP photo)

 

The violence has spilled over into Nigeria’s neighboring countries. Soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been battling Boko Haram terrorists in recent months. 

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau had repeatedly threatened to attack Niger and Chad and other countries that joined forces against the militants. 

The militant group also recently pledged allegiance to the ISIL Takfiri terrorist group, which itself primarily operates inside Iraq and Syria. 


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