Sahel: Boko Haram targets Niger’s Diffa region in new attacks

Posted On 10 April 2019

Number of times this article was read : 135

Niamey, April 10, 2019 – Several people have been taken hostage and a policeman killed in an attack by Boko Haram militants in a troubled region of southeastern Niger, a senior official told AFP on Wednesday. The jihadists, some of them believed to be wearing suicide vests, launched the assault on various parts of the city of Diffa on Tuesday night and it was “still in progress” Wednesday morning, the official said. Residents described hearing gunshots and loud explosions near the police station. Two jihadists have been killed, according to provisional figures.

“The attackers, hunted by the security forces, have holed up in the home of a policeman and taken several people hostage,” the official said, who wanted to remain anonymous. One Diffa resident told AFP the police are “still trying to dislodge them.” Diffa is close to northeastern Nigeria and borders the Lake Chad basin. It has suffered repeat attacks from Boko Haram.

An estimated 27,000 people have been killed and two million displaced since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009, a campaign that has spilled over to Niger, as well as Burkina Faso and Chad. Across Niger, 88 civilians were killed by Boko Haram in March alone, and more than 18,000 people forced to flee their villages, according to the United Nations.The UN has said it is alarmed by the “rapid deterioration of the security situation” in the Diffa region.

Source AFP

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Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

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