12 Nigerian soldiers killed by Boko Haram militants

At least 12 Nigerien soldiers were killed and five other injured during an attack carried out Tuesday night till Wednesday morning by Boko Haram militants against a military camp in the region of Diffa, near the border of Chad, a military source told Xinhua Wednesday.

Two Nigerien army vehicles were destroyed and six others driven away by the militants during the attack, the military source added.

According to the local medias, four vehicles were retrieved by the Nigerien soldiers after exchanging heavy fire.

The soldiers attacked belong to an advanced base of the Nigerian army near Lake Chad where Boko Haram militants use as hideouts.

The southeastern part of Niger suffered, since four years, the deadly attacks carried out by Boko Haram from its bases in Nigeria, which has caused hundreds of deaths among civilians and soldiers, and forced thousands of people from Niger and Nigeira to flee their homes.

A mixed multinational force composed of the armies of Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Nigeria has undertaken large-scale anti-terrorist operations in this region, but recently, there has been a proliferation of actions including kidnappings.