Sharjah 24 – AFP: An attack by hundreds of Boko Haram fighters on a town in Niger's terrorist-plagued southeast killed 16 soldiers and wounded nine others, Defence Minister Alkassoum Indatou told AFP on Wednesday.

In the assault late on Tuesday  "the positions of our defence and security forces in Baroua, in the Diffa region, were attacked by several hundred Boko Haram elements who came from Lake Chad", the minister said in a statement.

Nigerien soldiers "neutralised around 50 terrorists" and "secured a large quantity of arms and ammunition", he added.