Chad: At least 17 soldiers killed in Boko Haram attack

Boko Haram insurgents killed 17 Chadian soldiers in a weekend attack on a military post that also left 96 attackers dead in the west of the country, the Chadian army said.

The attack in the Lake Chad region took place on Saturday, army spokesman Gen. Issakh Acheikh said on state television Sunday night. He did not provide details.

The Lake Chad region has been hit by frequent attacks by insurgents this year, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa, rekindling fears of violence after a period of peace following a successful military operation launched in 2020 by the Chadian army to destroy the extremist groups’ bases.

Last month, 40 soldiers were killed in an attack on a military base, prompting President Mahamat Deby Itno to launch an operation to dislodge Boko Haram militants from Lake Chad. In March, an attack the government blamed on Boko Haram killed seven soldiers.

Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency more than a decade ago against Western education, is seeking to establish Islamic law in northeastern Nigeria. The insurgency has spread to neighboring West African countries, including Cameroon , Niger and Chad .

Chad, a country of nearly 18 million people, has been rocked by political unrest before and after the disputed 2021 presidential election that saw the victory of Deby Itno. He had led the country as interim president during the period of military rule that followed his father's death in 2021.