Chad’s army has said that said it killed 13 fighters
from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in the Nigerian town of
Gambaru, Bornu State, while also saying two female suicide bombers
attacked the Niger frontier town of Diffa on Wednesday, news agency
Reuters reports.
Regional armies from Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon are mobilising to
foil Boko Haram’s bid to carve out an emirate around Lake Chad, which
borders Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
Boko Haram’s five-year-old insurgency has killed thousands in northern Nigeria but regional armies say they have killed hundreds of militants in battles along the borders since deploying troops to contain the threat.
“There were two suicide attacks carried out on Wednesday by women. The two women died and I think they were the only victims.” a security source is quoted by Reuters as saying.
Reuters further said it was not able to verify whether there were any other casualties.
Earlier on Wednesday, clashes erupted in the Nigerian town of Gambaru, on the eastern border with Cameroon, where Chad has deployed hundreds of soldiers to help Cameroon ward off attacks from Boko Haram.
Chad’s army said 11 Chadian soldiers were wounded, three out of 14 Boko Haram vehicles were destroyed, and one was seized.
“We knew they were going to attack us. We were waiting. The battle didn’t last long. They fled,” a military source told Reuters.
Details of plans by the military of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger are still being hammered out, while Chad has spearheaded the regional effort to foil further attacks by Boko Haram in the region.
Niger’s parliament this week unanimously approved sending troops to northern Nigeria as part of the regional offensive.
According to Reuters, Niger officials have warned that civilians fleeing northern Nigeria have been infiltrated by Boko Haram fighters. Authorities in Diffa meanwhile have declared a 15-day state of emergency and are searching house-to-house for Boko Haram suspects.
“The situation is precarious because Boko Haram could come back to assault us at any moment,” a military source said on Wednesday, adding that schools in the town of Diffa were being closed.
Recently, Boko Haram insurgents abducted at least eight girls and killed seven hostages after seizing a public bus about 11 miles (18 kilometres) from Cameroon’s border with Nigeria.
Chadian
soldiers hold up their weapons next to tanks and army vehicles ahead of
their deployment in Mali, at the town of Gorou, in Niger, 10 km (6.2
miles) from Niamey, January 30, 2013. Photo: REUTERS
Boko Haram’s five-year-old insurgency has killed thousands in northern Nigeria but regional armies say they have killed hundreds of militants in battles along the borders since deploying troops to contain the threat.
“There were two suicide attacks carried out on Wednesday by women. The two women died and I think they were the only victims.” a security source is quoted by Reuters as saying.
Reuters further said it was not able to verify whether there were any other casualties.
Earlier on Wednesday, clashes erupted in the Nigerian town of Gambaru, on the eastern border with Cameroon, where Chad has deployed hundreds of soldiers to help Cameroon ward off attacks from Boko Haram.
Chad’s army said 11 Chadian soldiers were wounded, three out of 14 Boko Haram vehicles were destroyed, and one was seized.
“We knew they were going to attack us. We were waiting. The battle didn’t last long. They fled,” a military source told Reuters.
Details of plans by the military of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger are still being hammered out, while Chad has spearheaded the regional effort to foil further attacks by Boko Haram in the region.
Niger’s parliament this week unanimously approved sending troops to northern Nigeria as part of the regional offensive.
According to Reuters, Niger officials have warned that civilians fleeing northern Nigeria have been infiltrated by Boko Haram fighters. Authorities in Diffa meanwhile have declared a 15-day state of emergency and are searching house-to-house for Boko Haram suspects.
“The situation is precarious because Boko Haram could come back to assault us at any moment,” a military source said on Wednesday, adding that schools in the town of Diffa were being closed.
Recently, Boko Haram insurgents abducted at least eight girls and killed seven hostages after seizing a public bus about 11 miles (18 kilometres) from Cameroon’s border with Nigeria.
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