Nigerian town comes under fresh Boko Haram attack
Iran Press TV
Sun Feb 8, 2015 3:55PM
Boko Haram Takfiri militants have launched an attack on a border town in Niger, which has also witnessed a bomb attack near a market.
According to residents, the militants assaulted the southeastern town of Diffa on Saturday night, after launching their first major attack in Niger on Friday in the area that borders Nigeria.
They added that the clashes between Boko Haram and Niger's military lasted until 5 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) when the extremists were forced to escape.
Shortly after the attack was repelled, an assailant, who is believed to be female, blew up her explosives in Diffa's pepper market that receives traders and customers from Nigeria and other nations in the region.
"This young girl who was wearing the bomb made it explode right in the middle of the market," said resident Kader Lawan, adding, "At the moment the market is surrounded by soldiers, and the rest of the town also."
Reports said that the attack left one person dead and at least 10 others injured.
The Takfiri militant group has carried out similar attacks in crowded markets and busy bus stations, killing hundreds of people. However, this bomb attack was the first of its kind outside Nigeria.
Over the past months, the military campaign against Boko Haram has extended across the region, as the militants had staged attacks in both Cameroon and Niger last week.
During a Saturday meeting in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, regional and African Union officials presented a proposal for an 8,700-strong force to fight Boko Haram, with manpower coming from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin.
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its operations in 2009, which have left over 13,000 people dead and 1.5 million displaced.
MR/HMV/SS
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