Nigerien and Chadian officials said a joint force of 120 Nigerian, Chadian, and Nigerien soldiers battled Boko Haram militants in Baga last week; as many as 187 people were killed, many of them civilians, and an investigation has been launched. Nigeria’s top counterterrorism official said the al Qaeda-linked group Ansaru aims to Islamize the Sahel and has more international connections than Boko Haram. The government is seeking an amnesty deal with Boko Haram.
