NIAMEY
Nigerien authorities have evacuated over 25,000 people from islands in Lake Chad before regional troops begin a planned offensive against Boko Haram militants said to be holed up in the area, Niger's prime minister said Friday.
"Following government calls… 12,700 people were relocated to Nguiguimni and 13,000 to Bosso in the southeast," Prime Minister Brigi Raffini told a Friday press briefing.
He went on to say these numbers could increase in the days ahead.
The premier also said that nearly 6,000 Nigerian refugees who had taken refuge on the islands of Lake Chad had since returned home.
In recent months, Nigerien towns on the border with Nigeria have been rocked by multiple Boko Haram attacks.
One recent attack – on Lake Chad's Karamga Island – left 74 people dead, including 28 civilians.
Nigeria and its neighbors – including Niger, Cameroon and Chad – have recently launched a joint counterterrorism campaign endorsed by the African Union and other regional bodies.
