Dakar: Chad’s presidency confirmed that at least 40 soldiers were killed in a Sunday night attack by unidentified assailants on a military base in western Chad. President Mahamat Deby Itno visited the site early Monday and announced the initiation of a military operation to pursue the attackers.
Chad has faced a prolonged insurgency in the western part of the country, close to the Nigerian border. In June, nine individuals were killed and over 40 injured due to explosions triggered by a fire at a military ammunition depot in the capital, N’Djamena.
In March, an attack attributed to Boko Haram resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers, raising concerns about renewed violence in the Lake Chad region. This follows a period of relative peace after a successful 2020 operation by the Chadian army that dismantled the extremist group’s bases. During that time, schools, mosques, and churches reopened, and humanitarian organizations returned to the area.
Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency more than a decade ago against Western education, seeks to establish Islamic law in Nigeria’s northeast. The insurgency has spread to West African neighbors including Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has been reeling from political turmoil before and after a controversial presidential election that resulted in Deby Itno’s victory. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed the death of his father in 2021.
(Inputs from PTI)
Chad’s President Confirms Attack on Military Base, Leaves 40 Soldiers Dead world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World Breaking Headlines Today
