Niger declares emergency in Diffa after Boko Haram attacks

Nigerian soldiers will have increased powers to search homes in the Diffa region

Niger has declared a 15-day state of emergency in the border region of Diffa after a spate of attacks by Nigerian militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The declaration gives troops in the region new powers to
search homes without a warrant and imposes a curfew.
Boko Haram has intensified its campaign against neighbouring states in recent weeks.
The group attacked Chadian army positions in north-eastern Nigeria on Wednesday but were repelled.
"We knew they were going to attack us," a Chadian military official told Reuters news agency. "We were waiting. The battle didn't last long."
Residents flee Chadian troops are in Gambaru town in Nigeria's Borno state after capturing it from Boko Haram last week.
They are part of a regional coalition fighting Boko Haram, whose militants are increasingly attacking the area around Lake Chad - a crossroads between Nigeria, Chad, and Niger.

Many people are living in refugee camps after being forced to flee their homes

Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state, and has vowed to defeat regional forces.
Thousands of residents are fleeing the town of Diffa, travelling 500km (310 milies) to Zinder city, reports the BBC's Baro Arzika from Niger.
One eyewitness said that about 200 refugees had arrived in Zinder on Tuesday in a single convoy.
Niger has been targeted by Boko Haram over the past week, with residents reporting a car bomb in Diffa town and assaults by militants on nearby Bosso.

The town of Diffa sits within the broader Diffa region of Niger

The state of emergency gives Diffa's governor power to introduce new restrictions without passing any laws.
The curfew will force residents to stay indoors between 20:00 and 06:00 local time (19:00 and 05:00 GMT).
Approximately 3.2 million people in Nigeria have fled their homes as a result of Boko Haram's insurgency, Nigerian officials say.
Nigeria launched an investigation on Tuesday after reports of rapes, child trafficking and other abuses in camps for those displaced.
The conflict with Boko Haram has forced a postponement of Nigeria's presidential and parliamentary elections from 14 February to 28 March.

Boko Haram attacks in 2015

• 14 January: Nigerian military repel attack on the town of Biu in the north-eastern state of Borno
• 18 January: Suicide bomber kills four people after detonating a car bomb at a bus station in north-eastern Yobe state
• 25 January: Militants attack strategically important north-eastern city of Maiduguri, with dozens reported killed
• 4 February: Militants kill up to 70 people in attack on Cameroon
• 6-8 February: Attacks on Niger repelled by Niger's military
• 9 February: Bus hijacked at up to 20 kidnapped in attacks on border areas of Cameroon