Boko Haram attack on Chad army garrison kills scores of people, government says

A file photo showing Chadian soldiers presenting their new French-donated tanks in N'Djamena in January 2021.

Around 40 members of the Chadian army were killed in an overnight attack by jihadist group Boko Haram near the Nigerian border, the government and local sources said on Monday. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno said in a statement that he had visited the scene early on Monday and launched an operation "to go after the attackers and track them down in their furthest hideouts".

An attack by jihadist group Boko Haram on the Chadian army killed around 40 people overnight near the Nigerian border, the government and local sources said Monday.

"A garrison housing more than 200 soldiers was targeted by members of Boko Haram" late on Sunday, a local source told AFP.

The presidency said in a statement that the attack struck near Ngouboua in the west of the country, "tragically leaving about 40 people dead".

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the scene early on Monday and launched an operation "to go after the attackers and track them down in their furthest hideouts", the statement added.

The attack struck at 10:00 pm local time (2100 GMT), local sources told AFP.

"Boko Haram members took control of the garrison, seized the weapons, burnt vehicles equipped with heavy arms, and left," said one local source, who asked not to be named.

(AFP)


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