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Canadian special forces from Petawawa are operating near a town in Niger that has been the scene of heavy fighting between government troops and Islamic extremists.

The Canadian troops are not involved in any of the combat in the town of Diffa, which sits on the border with Nigeria, Department of National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said Tuesday.

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They are training with Niger troops on the outskirts of the town.

Members of the group Boko Haram stormed a prison in Diffa on the weekend and were able to fight their way into part of the town of 50,000 people on Monday, according to news reports. A car bomb was also set off in the town, killing five and seriously injuring another five. Niger’s Defence Minister, Mahamadou Karijo, however, said the deaths were from Boko Haram shelling the town.

Niger’s army pushed back the insurgents from the town but it was the third attack on Diffa in four days.