Located just on the border of Niger Republic where it meets with Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, Bosso has been the subject of intense fighting over the last week. Boko Haram first took Bosso on Friday in a deadly attack during which 30 soldiers from Niger Republic and two from Nigeria were killed.
It was the deadliest assault in Niger Republic by Boko Haram since April 2015, when at least 74 people, including 28 civilians, were killed on the Lake Chad island of Karamga. Nigerien troops retook Bosso on Saturday morning but Bosso's Mayor Mamadou Bako said they lost control again on Sunday night and that the town remains under Boko Haram's control.
One military source in Diffa, about 100km west of Bosso, confirmed the takeover, although the Nigerien government denied it, adding that the town was completely under its control. Bosso is part of the Diffa region and is where many refugees have sought shelter from Boko Haram violence over the years.
More than 30 attacks have been attributed to the militants in the region this year, according to the United Nations. Its humanitarian agency said in that civilians were reported to be fleeing the area over the weekend as a result of the violence.
Boko Haram has been trying to establish an Islamic state adhering to strict Sharia law in northeast Nigeria since 2009. About 2.1m people have been displaced and thousands have been killed during the seven-year insurgency.
Along with Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin Republic, Niger Republic has contributed troops to a 9,000-strong regional task force dedicated to fighting the group. Given the porous borders in the area, Boko Haram finds it easy to switch its operations between the nations in the region.
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