Niger: Boko Haram jihadists clash with army near city of Diffa
Boko Haram fighters clashed with government forces on Sunday in Diffa, the largest city in southwestern Niger, in what the jihadists said was a successful attack on a military camp.
Conflicting versions of the outcome emerged on Tuesday, with the Islamists claiming to have overrun the site but local residents telling AFP that the assailants had been repelled.
A propaganda video released by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a Boko Haram splinter group affiliated to the so-called Islamic State, purports to show heavily-armed insurgents storm an army camp following sustained fighting and heavy weapons fire.
A soldier is seen lying face-down on the ground, either dead or unconscious, and being shot twice.
The assailants then leave the camp with military vehicles and weapons to the cries of Allahu Akbar (God is greatest).