Chad says 23 soldiers killed in Boko Haram attack on Lake Chad base

At least 23 Chadian soldiers have been killed and 26 others injured in an attack by Islamist militant group Boko Haram on a military base in the Lake Chad region, the army has said.

The assault took place late on Monday on the island of Barka Tolorom in Lake Chad, according to army spokesman Issakha Acheikh Chanane. He said Chadian forces repelled the attack and that “a significant number of militants were neutralised”.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno condemned the attack, describing it as “cowardly” in a post on Facebook.

“In the face of barbarism, Chad stands firm, united, and unyielding,” he said. “We will continue the fight with renewed determination until this threat is eradicated.”

Boko Haram, which originated in Nigeria, has carried out attacks across the Lake Chad basin for more than a decade, affecting countries including Chad and Cameroon. The group has increasingly used remote islands in the lake’s border region as hideouts.

One of the deadliest attacks in Chad occurred in March 2020 on the Bohoma peninsula, where about 100 soldiers were killed.

The latest incident underscores the continuing security challenges in the region, despite ongoing military operations against militant groups.