An attack by the jihadist group Boko Haram killed about 40 Chadian troops near the Nigerian border overnight.
Boko Haram members attacked a garrison housing more than 200 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Chad region, which is plagued by various armed groups, late Sunday.
A statement from the Presidency said 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 garrison’s unit commander was among the dead, a high-ranking officer confirmed on condition of anonymity.
The assailants “had time to seize ammunition and equipment before they retreated”, the officer added.
Around 20 people were also wounded, military sources said.
“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.The surprise attack struck a Chadian army position near the Nigerian border late on Sunday evening, military sources said.”We have many casualties, yes, but the situation is under control and our forces are on the ground pursuing the enemy,” the regional governor, General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, told AFP.