Niger, Its Neighbors Preparing for Final Operation Against Boko Haram

The military forces of Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin are preparing a final assault on the Boko Haram jihadist group, Nigerian Defense Minister Hassoumi Massoudou has announced.

The Boko Haram extremist group began large-scale attacks in northeastern Nigeria in 2009. Last year, the group expanded its attacks into neighboring Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

"The current meeting aims at preparing the final phase of the eradication of Boko Haram from our territory," Massoudou said after a Thursday meeting between the heads of the countries’ armies, as quoted by The Telegraph on Friday.

The extremist group has pledged allegiance to the Daesh terrorist organization, outlawed in Russia and many other countries.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Boko Haram insurgency has displaced more than 2.25 million people since 2014. A total of 2.066 million people are displaced within Nigeria and 190,000 people – in the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.