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Eleven Chadian soldiers killed in Boko Haram ambush

Chadian army soldiers sit in the back of a military vehicle in Malam Fatori, northern Nigeria, near the border with Niger, May 25, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

Nearly a dozen Chadian soldiers have lost their lives in a surprise attack by the Takfiri Boko Haram militant group against them in the volatile Lake Chad region.

A Chadian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Boko Haram extremists attacked the Kaiga Ngouboua base in Chad, located two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the border with Nigeria, at 4:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) on Tuesday, killing 11 Chadian troopers and wounding 17 others.

The source said that 17 Boko Haram militants were also killed during heavy clashes that ensued with Chadian soldiers, adding that the Takfiri extremists have been driven out of the area and that the Chadian army is raking the entire region in search of any possible Boko Haram militants.

On August 29, Chad executed at least 10 Boko Haram militants after they were found guilty of involvement in a series of deadly bomb attacks in the Central African country’s capital, N’Djamena.

Chadian soldiers display arms captured from Boko Haram militants in Malam Fatori, northeastern Nigeria, April 3, 2015. (Photo by AFP)

 

Regional task force

Chad has been a major military ally of Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, whose leader has publicly threatened the Chadian president with retaliation.

The threats have prompted Chadian President Idriss Deby to introduce a series of tough anti-terror laws.

Back in February, the four nations of the Lake Chad Basin – Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria – launched a campaign, together with a contingent from Benin, to confront the threat from Boko Haram militants in the region.

Chad is the leading country in the regional 8,700-strong military task force.

Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which mainly operates in Syria and Iraq. The Nigerian militant group has intensified its campaign of terror since President Mohammadu Buhari came to power on May 29.


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