Boko Haram retakes town in Niger

The Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group has reportedly recaptured the town of Bosso in southeastern Niger, says its mayor.

According to Press TV, hundreds of terrorists attacked a military post in Bosso near the southeastern border with neighboring Nigeria on Friday, taking its control and killing 32 soldiers from Niger and Nigeria.

Nigerien authorities said around 70 soldiers were wounded and some 55 Boko Haram terrorists were also killed.

Nigerien troops later retook Bosso on Saturday, but the militants once again took over the town on Sunday night.

The mayor of Bosso Mamadou Bako and a military source confirmed the takeover on Monday, but the Nigerien government denied it.

The government said the town was “completely under control” on Monday evening and vowed to avenge the death of its soldiers.

The residents of the town are reportedly fleeing the area, according to the UN humanitarian agency. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said thousands of residents have fled Bosso to “more secure areas.”

No official figure on population movements is available, but OCHA said the attacks could displace around 40,000 people from the towns of Bosso and Yebi.

SS