the response to jihadist attacks turns into a rout

At the end of October, an attack by the jihadist group Boko Haram against a military base in the Lake Chad region left around forty Chadian soldiers dead. In response, President Déby had “ personally » launched an operation called “ Haskanite », which he led from the Lake Chad province for two weeks.

Saturday, during a skirmish and after a few hours of combat, “ several terrorist elements were neutralized » according to the Chadian general staff.

“Several high-ranking officers have fallen”

But the skirmish which took place around 3 p.m. local time on the island of Karia, northwest of Kaigakindjiria, in the province of Lake Chad, turned to the advantage of the jihadists who inflicted losses on government forces.

Saturday evening, several local media relayed lists of names of Chadian soldiers, some of them high-ranking officers killed (including two generals) or injured (including two other generals).

This Sunday, pages Facebook linked to the Zaghawa ethnic group – to which President Déby belongs – announced the death of around ten officers from their community in these fighting. “ Several high-ranking officers have fallen. Others were injured and evacuated to the military garrison of N'Djamena », Said a general staff officer on condition of anonymity.

For his part, in a press release released on Saturday before his departure for Saudi Arabia, the Chadian head of state, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, paid tribute to the “ martyrs » fell on Saturday, without giving details.