Boko Haram Attack Kills Over 20 Soldiers on Chad’s Lake Chad Island

At least 23 Chadian soldiers were killed and 26 others wounded in a late night raid by Boko Haram militants on a military post in the Lake Chad region, the country’s armed forces said on Tuesday.

The attack occurred around 10 pm local time on Monday on the island of Barka Tolorom in Lake Chad province. Chadian forces responded, repelling the assault and killing a “significant number” of the attackers, according to an army statement.

Varying figures, some suggesting up to 24 or 25 fatalities, emerged from local sources, but the death toll is widely reported to be at least 23. Army spokesman Issakha Acheikh Chanane confirmed the casualties and said weapons were seized from the militants.

President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno described the assault on his Facebook page as another “cowardly attack” by Boko Haram, adding that “we will continue the fight with renewed determination until this threat is completely eradicated”. After visiting the wounded in hospital, he said Chad remains “united and unwavering” against the threat.

The Lake Chad region, a vast and porous basin dotted with islands and marshlands where Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon meet, has long been a conflict zone. The attack on Barka Tolorom is part of a recent surge in violence. An October 2024 Boko Haram attack killed about 40 Chadian soldiers. In response to that incident, President Déby Itno personally launched a counteroffensive, vowing to lead it on the ground and claiming in February 2025 that Boko Haram had “no more sanctuary on Chadian territory”. This week’s assault starkly contradicts that assertion.

The Lake Chad islands also serve as a haven for other armed groups, including the Islamic State affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP).

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