Bomb attacks kill 9 in Niger

At least nine people have been killed in several bombing attacks in southeastern Niger, near the border with Nigeria.

A local official said on Tuesday that three attacks occurred in Diffa late on Monday.

“Three suicide bombers blew themselves up. For the moment, there are nine dead and some wounded,” an elected member of the Diffa Region told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

Two of the assailants were female, the elected representative said, adding that they attacked separate parts of the city.

A seminary school located in one of Diffa’s popular districts where young Muslims were taught the Holy Quran was one of the places targeted, according to the source.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. But Diffa is frequently targeted by the Boko Haram terrorist group, which is mainly based in neighboring Nigeria.

The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in Nigeria and its neighboring countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon in the past years.

The attacks have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and caused millions to flee their homes.

In 2015, the group pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group.

The United Nations has previously warned that the areas affected by Boko Haram militancy face humanitarian crises.