Boko Haram attack in Niger kills 32 soldiers

Thirty soldiers from Niger and two from Nigeria were killed in a Boko Haram attack by “hundreds of assaila-nts” on late Friday on the southeastern town of Bosso close to the border with Nigeria, the Niger defence ministry said on Saturday.

It was the deadliest attack carried out in Niger by the Islamist group since April 2015, when at least 74 people, including 28 civilians, were killed at the Lake Chad island of Karamga.

“The counter-offensive conducted early this morning helped to retake control of all the positions in the city of Bosso. The situation is under control,” the defence ministry said in a statement. “A sweep is ongoing in the area with the mobilisation of all land and air means”.

Seven others from Niger and eight from Nigeria were injured in the attack that targeted a military post, according to the ministry, which reported “several deaths” among the assailants.

Meanwhile, West Afri-can leaders discussed setting up a force to combat extremists in the region and will send an observation mission to Gambia before elections, the regional economic body has said.

The decisions were announced after about a dozen heads of state, including Presidents from Ivory Coast, Niger and Mali, met in Dakar, Senegal, for the 49th session of the Economic Community of West African States.

The threat of extremi-sm in the region has increased following major attacks by Al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali, Burkina Faso and in Ivory Coast. The Boko Haram, which has declared its support for ISIS, continues to carry out attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

“We must constantly reconcile the free movement of people and goods with security measures,” said the new president of the body, Marcel Alain de Souza of Benin, at the opening of the day-long summit.

“The multiplication of the number of zones of terrorism in our space obliges us to share information on all activities and to coordinate and mobilize our resources.”

The member states discussed the creation of a regional force, he said later yesterday, without giving further details.

The threat of extremism in the region has increased following major attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali, Burkina Faso and in Ivory Coast. The Nigeria-based Boko Haram, which has declared its support for the Islamic State group, continues to carry out attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.