17 Chadian soldiers and 96 rebels killed in Boko Haram attack

Chadian President Mahamat Deby Itno

Boko Haram insurgents killed 17 Chadian soldiers in a weekend attack on a military post, also killing 96 of the attackers in the country’s west, Chad’s army said.

The attack in the Lake Chad region took place on Saturday, army spokesman General Issakh Acheikh said on national television on Sunday evening. He did not provide details.

The Lake Chad region has been plagued this year by frequent attacks from insurgents including Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa. It has revived fears of violence after a period of peace following a successful operation launched by the Chadian army in 2020 to destroy the extremist groups’ bases.

Last month, 40 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base, prompting President Mahamat Deby Itno to launch an operation to clear Boko Haram militants from Lake Chad. In March, an attack that the government blamed on Boko Haram killed seven soldiers.

Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency against Western education more than a decade ago, is trying to introduce Islamic law in northeastern Nigeria. The insurgency has spread to neighboring West African countries, including Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has faced political unrest before and after the controversial presidential election that resulted in Deby Itno’s victory. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed his father’s death in 2021.