Ten Chadian soldiers were killed while attacking a base of the Boko Haram Islamist group in the Lake Chad region, the province's secretary-general told AFP on Saturday.

Seven soldiers were also injured in Thursday's ambush, Sadick Khatir said, confirming information given by an anonymous military source.

Contacted by AFP, however, army spokesman Azem Mbermandoa, did not confirm the death toll but added that the Chadian army had "destroyed a Boko Haram base, recovered weapons and ammunition".

The jihadist group, which originated in Nigeria in 2009, has established bases on islets dotting Lake Chad, a vast swampy expanse on the border between Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The Chadian army launched an offensive against Boko Haram in April after the death of some 100 soldiers in an attack by the group on one of its bases.

President Idriss Deby then claimed to have pushed the jihadists out.

But despite this military operation, the attacks have continued.

In Chad's Lake Province, more than 360,000 people have fled their homes to avoid attacks and also flooding, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The president admitted in early August that "Boko Haram would still do a lot of damage" in Chad.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Family fakes fight to help Chad colonel escape murder trial
N'Djamena (AFP) Sept 17, 2020
Moments after a Chad military officer was sentenced on Thursday to five years' jail for a murder that sparked nationwide outrage, his family faked a fight and rushed him out of the court, the government said. A video of Colonel Abdoulaye Ahmat Haroun shooting two young mechanics at point-blank range, killing one, triggered such fury online that the government slowed the country's internet last month, a measure slammed by rights groups. When a court in the capital N'Djamena convicted and sentence ... read more