Nigeria formally asked neighboring Niger to help combat Islamists in the northeastern region. Under a 2012 bilateral defense pact, Niger must come to Nigeria’s military aid when asked. The Nigerian military claimed to have arrested 120 militants at the funeral of a slain Boko Haram commander in Maiduguri. Curfews have been relaxed in Yobe and Borno states, and six towns in Borno were liberated from Boko Haram control and six terrorist camps there destroyed. Insurgents are said to be fleeing toward Chad and Niger; the Multi-National Joint Task Force has been deployed to intercept them.
