Around 40 killed in Chad in jihadist attack on army

N'Djamena, Chad — 

An onslaught by jihadist radical Boko Haram connected the Chadian service killed astir 40 radical overnight adjacent the Nigerian border, the authorities and section sources said Monday.

"A garrison lodging much than 200 soldiers was targeted by members of Boko Haram" precocious connected Sunday, a section root told AFP.

The presidency said successful a connection that the onslaught struck adjacent Ngouboua successful the westbound of the country, "tragically leaving astir 40 radical dead."

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the country aboriginal connected Monday and launched an cognition "to spell aft the attackers and way them down successful their furthest hideouts", the connection added.

The onslaught struck astatine 10:00 p.m. section clip (2100 GMT), section sources told AFP.

"Boko Haram members took power of the garrison, seized the weapons, burnt vehicles equipped with dense arms, and left," said 1 section source, who asked not to beryllium named.

A immense expanse of h2o and swamps, Lake Chad's countless islets service arsenic hideouts for jihadist groups, specified arsenic Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State successful West Africa (ISWAP), who marque regular attacks connected the countries' service and civilians.

Boko Haram launched an insurgency successful Nigeria successful 2009, leaving much than 40,000 radical dormant and displacing 2 million, and the enactment has since dispersed to neighboring countries.

In March 2020, the Chadian service suffered its biggest ever one-day losses successful the region, erstwhile astir 100 troops died successful a raid connected the lake's Bohoma peninsula.

The onslaught prompted then-president Idriss Deby Itno -- the existent president's begetter -- to motorboat an anti-jihadist offensive.

In June, the International Office for Migration (IOM) recorded much than 220,000 radical displaced by attacks from equipped groups successful Lake Chad province.