At least 24 Chadian army soldiers were killed on the night of Aug. 4 to 5 during an attack by the Boko Haram terrorists in the Lake Chad region, several Chadian media reported Thursday, citing local sources.
The attack on a Chadian army position in Tchoukoutalia, Lac province, was confirmed by the army spokesman, General Azem Bermandoa Agouna, who was contacted by Xinhua.
The counter-offensive is underway, the army spokesman said.
Lac province is regularly the target of attacks by Boko Haram.
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The last attack took place on April 27.
On Aug. 14, 2019, a female suicide bomber killed six people after blowing herself up in western Chad.
The attack was attributed to Boko Haram jihadists.
“Six people died, including a soldier,” in the attack in Kaiga-Kindjiria district, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Kaiga-Kindjiria lies in Lac province, which abuts the vast Lake Chad — a region shared by Chad, Cameroon, Niger, and Nigeria.
Boko Haram launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria a decade ago that has since spilled over into neighbouring countries.
It has carried out at least 10 cross-border attacks in Chad since 2018, mainly targeting army positions.
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In March, 23 troops were killed when their forward position on the northeastern side of the lake came under attack.
In June, 11 soldiers were killed and six were wounded in clashes at Tchoukoutalia, according to the authorities, who said 26 jihadists were killed.
Boko Haram’s campaign has left some 27,000 people dead and displaced around two million in Nigeria alone, according to some estimates.
In 2015, the four Lake Chad countries, together with Benin, set up a combined force to fight Boko Haram with the help of local groups of armed citizens. (Xinhua/NAN)