Armed ViolenceNews

Niger Republic Soldiers Push Back ISWAP Attack In Diffa

Soldiers in Niger Republic have forced ISWAP to retreat after an attack on Diffa in the southeastern region of the country close to the border with Nigeria.

Niger Republic soldiers forced the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) to retreat after an attack the terror group staged in the Diffa district, which borders Nigeria, on Friday, May 29, 2021.

The heavily armed terrorists stormed the location around 3 p.m. (WAT), according to an eyewitness.

The terrorists engaged in a fierce confrontation with the military personnel who responded with sustained gunfire, including from heavy weapons.

“We do not have a toll yet, but we have witnessed movements of panic by the population,” another source said.


The source added that normalcy has returned to the city after the engagement.

HumAngle gathered that a small fighting band of Boko Haram sub-faction operates in the region. However, the activities of the band in the Diffa region is not at the scale of ISWAP attacks.

Since 2015, Diffa has been attacked multiple times. In May 2020, intense fighting erupted between the army and terrorists at the Doutchi bridge, connecting Niger and Nigeria to the south of the city.

An estimate of 300,000 refugees and displaced individuals have fled terrorist fighters in the region.

Since 2009, fighting with Boko Haram terrorists and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has killed more than 36,000 people and displaced nearly two million people in northeastern Nigeria. 


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Aliyu Dahiru

Aliyu is an Assistant Editor at HumAngle and Head of the Radicalism and Extremism Desk. He has years of experience researching misinformation and influence operations. He is passionate about analysing jihadism in Africa and has published several articles on the topic. His work has been featured in various local and international publications.

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