Fifty-three “terrorists” were killed in an operation against the Boko Haram group’s positions in the Lake Chad area, Niger’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that “several attacks” have been thwarted in Diffa and Niamey, the capital.
According to the statement copied to APA on Tuesday morning, all the reported facts took place on Sunday morning. Thus, the death of the 53 “terrorists” occurred in the Lake Chad region on the border with Nigeria, following a land and air operation carried out by the Nigerien armed forces and the Multinational Joint Force, in partnership with the Army of Nigeria.
As for the foiled “attacks”, the statement announced a series of attempted suicide attacks, including one targeting “Vie Abondante” Church.
According to the same statement, there were four other suicide bombings in Diffa on the night of Saturday to Sunday, including one against a depot of the Nigerian Petroleum Products Company (SONIDEP) and another one targeting the airport. Explosive belts and two AK 47 Kalashnikov rifles were seized on the suicide bombers, the news release added.
Besides, five people, including two known terrorists, were arrested in the Niamey Airport district, the statement said, adding that “they were planning to carry out attacks in the city of Niamey or in its vicinity.”
Except three other people injured and registered during the offensive of June 2 against Boko Haram, there has been no loss of life and equipment on the side of the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and on the population side during other operations, the ministry said.
For several days, messages from foreign chancelleries in Niger, including the French Embassy, alerted about likely terrorist attacks, as the Eid el fitr, marking the end of Ramadan draws near.
These warnings have not been taken seriously because security has been beefed up around some buildings, markets, police stations and at various crossroads of the capital.
AS/cat/fss/abj/APA