10 killed in Niger suicide bomb blasts at mosque

Assaults come as President Mahamadou Issoufou visits Europe

FILE PHOTO: A Niger soldier guards with his weapon pointed towards the border with neighbouring Nigeria, near the town of Diffa, Niger, June 21, 2016. Picture taken June 21, 2016. REUTERS/Luc Gnago/File Photo
Powered by automated translation

Three suicide bombers killed 10 people at a mosque in Niger's south-eastern city of Diffa, an army spokesman said on Tuesday.

"It was last night that these three people exploded their charges during a religious service," the spokesman said. He later said the three bombers were female.

The victims had gathered after breaking their Ramadan fast, the spokesman said.

According to accounts on social media, three explosions were heard at about 10pm (2100 GMT) on Monday in Diffa Koura, an old district of the city.

The attacks came as Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou arrived in Paris for an official visit on Monday. He is to continue to Brussels Tuesday.

_______________

Read more

UN chief vows to pursue push for Sahel anti-terror force

Pentagon report finds multiple failures leading to Niger attack

ISIS affiliate establishes stronghold in west Africa

_______________

The area around Diffa, close to Lake Chad and the borders with Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, is a stronghold for two factions of militant group Boko Haram, which have been fighting to establish an Islamic state in the region.

The attacks break several months of relative calm in the Diffa region, which since February 2015 has suffered numerous attacks by Boko Haram, based across the border in north-east Nigeria.

Boko Haram has caused the deaths of at least 20,000 people since it took up arms in 2009 in Nigeria. Its offshoot Islamic State in West Africa has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Security forces have cordoned off the sites and are carrying out search operations throughout the city, a security source said.