Niger says 75 Boko Haram extremists killed this week

NIAMEY, Niger – Niger’s defence ministry says 75 fighters with the Boko Haram extremist group have been killed in two operations this week.

Niger’s forces killed at least 25 on Monday after launching an offensive against Boko Haram fighters who attacked military positions over the weekend, the ministry said late Tuesday. During the offensive in the southern Diffa region, Nigerien forces destroyed several explosive devices.

Also Monday, forces from Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon carried out air raids on islands in Lake Chad sheltering Boko Haram fighters, killing at least 50 in Nigerian territory, the ministry said.

The operations occurred days after jihadists associated with another extremist group attacked three villages in western Niger near its border with Mali, killing at least 20 people.