Anita Ogona
Over 40 soldiers have allegedly been Killed, with over 20 Wounded As Boko Haram Invade Military Base An attack by the jihadist group Boko Haram killing Chadian troops overnight near the Nigerian border, prompting an army operation to hunt down the militants, the government and local sources said on Monday.
Members of Boko Haram targeted a garrison housing more than 200 Chadian soldiers late Sunday in the Lake Chad region, an area plagued by various armed groups, local sources told AFP. The presidency said in a statement that the attack struck near Ngouboua in the west of the country, โtragically leaving about 40 people deadโ. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the scene early on Monday and launched an operation โto go after the attackers and track them down in their furthest hideoutsโ, the statement added. The garrisonโs unit commander was among the dead, a high-ranking officer said on condition of anonymity.
The assailants โhad time to seize ammunition and equipment before they retreatedโ, the officer added.
The surprise attack struck a Chadian army position near the Nigerian border late on Sunday evening, military sources said.โWe have many casualties, yes, but the situation is under control and our forces are on the ground pursuing the enemy,โ the regional governor, General Saleh Haggar Tidjani, told AFP.
a vast expanse of water and swamps, the Lake Chad regionโs countless islets serve as hideouts for jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), who make regular attacks on the countryโs army and civilians.
