Over 2000 Chad soldiers sent to Niger for a counter offensive on the Boko Haram militia after the militia seized a town in Niger.
The troops that arrived on Tuesday along with the Niger army are advancing towards Bosso town near Lake Chad. This followed Niger’s President Mahamodou Issoufou’s visit to Chad on Tuesday .
“About 2,000 soldiers with tanks went into Niger yesterday. They should link up with the Nigerien forces in Diffa and advance on Bosso,” said one of the Chadian military sources to Reuters.
At least 30 soldiers were killed and 50 thousand people fled the town after Boko haram attacked on Friday in what is seen as their deadliest attack in the country this year.
Niger troops briefly took control of the town on Saturday before the militants retook it again on Sunday according to Reuters sources.
Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamic state adhering to strict Sharia, Islamic law, in northeast Nigeria since 2009.
“Chad and Niger started joint army operations against the militants early last year. Chad’s involvement in combating the insurgency, which affects the whole Lake Chad region where Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad meet, was decisive in taking back control of territory controlled by Boko Haram. The Chadian military was also instrumental in defeating al-Qaeda’s west African wing in Mali two years ago.” Said Reuters
