Around 75 fighters from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram have been killed, the government of Niger has said.

The two operations by a regional anti-jihadist force took place in the Diffa region in the south and near Lake Chad in neighbouring Nigeria, a statement from the defence ministry said.

The figures could not be independently verified.

This comes just three days after a different jihadist group – thought to be linked to so-called Islamic State (IS) – killed more than 20 people in villages near Niger’s border with Mali.