At least 20 Chadian soldiers have been killed in an overnight attack blamed on Boko Haram militants near the Lake Chad region, according to security and military sources.
The assault reportedly took place in the town of Dangdala, close to the shores of Lake Chad, when armed fighters stormed a military position in the early hours of the morning.
Security officials say the attackers crossed into Chad from neighbouring Niger before launching the raid around 1:00 a.m. local time, targeting troops stationed in the area.
A military source confirmed that about 23 soldiers were killed in the attack, describing it as one of the deadliest incidents involving Boko Haram inside Chadian territory in recent years.
The group, which has waged a prolonged insurgency across the Lake Chad basin, continues to carry out cross-border attacks in Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
The violence is part of a broader conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around two million others across the region.
Chadian forces involved in counter-insurgency operations are also part of regional security efforts, including the G5 Sahel coalition, aimed at combating extremist groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad basin.
In a separate incident in southeastern Niger’s Diffa region, eight civilians were also reported killed in a Boko Haram attack the same week, highlighting the continued instability in border communities.
Military responses in the region have included counter-operations against suspected militants, as governments struggle to contain recurring cross-border raids.
