Euronews gained first-hand experience of the fight against Boko Haram when our correspondent, Luis Carballo, joined African coalition forces in northern Nigeria.

Liberation of Malam Fatori

He witnessed what remains of Malam Fatori. Lying on the border with Niger, it is the latest Nigerian village to be liberated from the militant group.

Boko Haram had control of Malam Fatori from November 2014 to March 31, 2015, when joint forces from Chad and Niger drove out the Islamists.

The Chadian army speaker says the village is strategically important as Boko Haram was using it as a base from which to direct attacks north into Niger and east, towards Lake Chad.

Its liberation represents a victory for the coalition forces, but the militants didn’t leave without a fight, as one woman told euronews.

“When Boko Haram arrived five months ago, we left the town and hid in the forest for a while. And then we came back,” she said. “Boko Haram seized young women and forced them to marry thei