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U.S. Condemns Boko Haram Attack in Niger


Bosso, Niger
Bosso, Niger

Thirty soldiers from Niger and two from Nigeria were killed in a Boko Haram attack by hundreds of assailants on June 3 on the southeastern town of Bosso close to the border with Nigeria.

Thirty soldiers from Niger and two from Nigeria were killed in a Boko Haram attack by hundreds of assailants on June 3 on the southeastern town of Bosso close to the border with Nigeria.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms Boko Haram’s barbaric attack on the military in Niger. In addition to the soldiers killed in the onslaught, 67 individuals were injured. This latest attack, said the State Department in a written statement, "further underscores Boko Haram’s blatant disregard for the people of the Lake Chad Basin area."

It was the deadliest attack carried out in Niger by the Islamic terrorist group since April 2015, when at least 74 people, including 28 civilians, were killed at the Lake Chad island of Karamga. Boko Haram has been fighting since 2009 to establish an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria adhering to strict Sharia law. About 2.3 million people have been displaced and thousands have been killed during the seven-year insurgency.

Bosso is in Niger's Diffa region, where many people have sought sanctuary from Boko Haram violence. Boko Haram attacks in the area began in February 2015, with increased violence since April 2016, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs. As many as 40,000 refugees are moving to safer environments and are in need of humanitarian aid.

The United States stands by its partners in Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon and supports their efforts to fight and defeat Boko Haram. These countries in addition to Benin have contributed troops to a 9,000-strong regional task force dedicated to fighting the terrorist group. International cooperation and a comprehensive approach remain vital components of this unified effort to bring lasting peace and security to the region and defeat to the terrorists.

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