It said that 193 French soldiers based in Ouallam left their camp for Chad on Sunday.

The troops reportedly left with 28 lorries as well as 24 armoured personnel carriers and other support vehicles.

Chad had agreed to offer a "corridor" for the withdrawal of the French soldiers from Niger back to France. The withdrawal exercise began on 5 October.

France deployed some 1,500 soldiers to Niger to help counter a deepening jihadist insurgency since 2015.

The French troops were based in the capital Niamey, Ouallam and Ayorou - near the border with Mali.