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Chad’s armed forces has revealed that at least 24 soldiers have died in an overnight attack by Boko Haram militants on an army post in the Lake Chad region.
The region has long been threatened by the Nigerian-based militants, who are known for carrying out assaults in neighbouring countries.
Army sources say the raid at the Barka Tolorom base late on Monday left 46 wounded on the Chadian side.
An administrative official in the region said the situation was now under control. The military site is on the shores of Lake Chad, which spans Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. Its islands provide a refuge for various militants, including Boko Haram and other radical groups.
In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby offered his condolences to the families of the dead soldiers. The army has come under fire from Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, with an October 2024 attack leaving some 40 dead in the Chadian army’s ranks.
In recent months, they have also seen a surge in attacks by the group’s JAS faction, including kidnappings and attacks on advanced army positions. Déby said the country would continue fighting, “with renewed determination”, until the threat from militant groups was completely eradicated.
Responding to the October 2024 attack, Deby launched a counter-offensive, which he vowed to “personally” lead on the ground for two weeks. After that offensive ended in February 2025, the army insisted that Boko Haram had “no more sanctuary on Chadian territory”.
Lake Chad’s islands and marshes also serve as a haven for Boko Haram’s rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
