Chad declares national mourning after deadly Boko Haram ambush

"Chad has declared three days of national mourning after a Boko Haram ambush in the volatile Lake Chad Basin on Wednesday left two generals dead. It follows an assault by the Nigeria-based group two days earlier on the Barka Tolorom military base near Lake Chad, which saw at least 24 soldiers dead, with the army saying a significant number of attackers were killed."

"The Lake Chad region, a vast expanse of water and marshland dotted with remote islands, shared between Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, has witnessed a surge in activity in recent months by Boko Haram's JAS faction, including kidnappings and assaults on security forces. Lake Chad's islands and marshes also provide a haven for Boko Haram's rival hardline splinter faction, the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP)."

"Chad President Mahamat Deby responded to the killings by launching a counteroffensive aimed at destroying Boko Haram's capacity to cause harm. When the operation ended in February 2025, the army claimed Boko Haram had no more sanctuary on Chadian territory but the attacks on security forces continued."

Chad declared three days of national mourning following a Boko Haram ambush in the Lake Chad Basin that killed two generals on Wednesday. This attack followed an assault on the Barka Tolorom military base two days earlier that left at least 24 soldiers dead. The Lake Chad region, shared by Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, has experienced increased activity from Boko Haram's JAS faction and the ISWAP splinter group. Despite President Mahamat Deby's counteroffensive operation ending in February 2025 with claims that Boko Haram had lost sanctuary in Chad, attacks on security forces persist. Chad continues facing instability from armed groups and economic challenges.

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