The Chadian presidency announced that approximately 40 soldiers were killed in an overnight assault on a military base in the Lake Chad region bordering Nigeria. President Mahamat Idriss Deby visited the site early Monday, ordering a full-scale military operation to pursue those responsible, vowing to “track down the attackers to their last entrenchments.”
While the government did not confirm the identity of the assailants, local security sources cited by AFP suggested that “Boko Haram elements” orchestrated the attack. These sources reported that attackers seized control of the base late Sunday, looted weapons, and destroyed vehicles outfitted with heavy weaponry before withdrawing.
Governor of the Lac region, General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, confirmed heavy casualties but assured that “the situation is under control and our forces are on the ground pursuing the enemy.”
The Lake Chad area has long been a target of insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), both originating from northeastern Nigeria. These groups have expanded their reach into Chad, Cameroon, and other regions bordering Lake Chad, causing widespread displacement and insecurity. The International Organization for Migration recorded over 220,000 people displaced by violence in this area as of June.
Chad remains a critical Western ally in combating Islamist terrorism in the Sahel. As neighboring countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have shifted away from Western alliances, Chad’s role in regional stability has grown. The Chadian military has intensified counter-insurgency operations since a 2020 attack that killed around 100 soldiers. Former President Idriss Deby, who had been a central figure in these efforts, died in combat in 2021, and his son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, has since led the country’s government and military response to ongoing insurgent threats.
(Reports from wire,AFP, Reuters)
