Niamey - Niger's parliament unanimously approved the deployment of troops to northern Nigeria as part of a regional offensive against Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has launched several cross-border attacks in recent days.
Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Benin agreed at the weekend to send a joint force of 7 800 troops to battle the militant group, which has killed thousands of people and kidnapped hundreds more in its bid to carve out a caliphate in arid northern Nigeria.
In recent days, Niger has massed more than 3 000 troops in its southern region of Diffa on the border with Nigeria, awaiting parliamentary approval to go on the offensive.
“The pooling of the efforts and resources of concerned countries will contribute without doubt to crushing this group which shows scorn, through its barbaric acts, for the Muslim religion,” parliamentary speaker Adamou Salifou said after the vote late on Monday.
It was supported by all 102 deputies present.
On Monday, Boko Haram fighters bombed the Niger town of Diffa, killing five people - its third attack there in four days. It also carried out raids in neighbouring Cameroon, kidnapping a bus full of passengers.
An intensification of Boko Haram violence near Lake Chad, which straddles Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, has sent tens of thousands of Nigerians fleeing across the border.
The crisis prompted Nigeria to postpone its February 14 presidential election by six weeks.
Reuters