At least 23 soldiers have been killed and 26 others wounded after suspected fighters from Boko Haram launched a deadly attack on a military base in Chad’s volatile Lake Chad region.
Chad’s armed forces confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the attack occurred late Monday on a military post located on the island of Barka Tolorom, a strategic but vulnerable outpost within the troubled basin.
According to the military, the insurgents stormed the base in a coordinated night assault but were eventually repelled after fierce fighting. Authorities said “a significant number” of the attackers were killed during the clash, although no precise figure was provided.
Reacting to the incident, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno condemned the attack in strong terms, describing it as “cowardly.”
“Once again, the nebulous Boko Haram terrorist group carried out a cowardly attack last night on our military base at Barka Tolorom,” the president said in a Facebook post.
“We will continue the fight with renewed determination until this threat is completely eradicated,” he added, while extending condolences to families of the fallen soldiers.
The Lake Chad region—bordering Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad—has long been a hotspot for extremist violence, with Boko Haram and its splinter factions exploiting the difficult terrain of islands and marshlands to stage attacks.
The latest assault underscores a troubling resurgence of violence, particularly by Boko Haram’s JAS faction, which has intensified raids, kidnappings, and strikes on military positions in recent months.
Chadian forces have repeatedly come under heavy fire in the Lake Chad region . In October 2024, roughly 40 soldiers were killed in a similar attack, prompting a major counteroffensive led by President Deby himself.
Although authorities later claimed the insurgents had been largely dislodged, the persistence of attacks suggests the group remains deeply entrenched.
Security analysts note that the area also serves as a base for Boko Haram’s rival faction, the Islamic State-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province, further complicating efforts to stabilise the country.
With renewed clashes and mounting casualties, concerns are growing that the Lake Chad basin could witness an even broader escalation of insurgent violence in the coming months.
