At least 10 Chadian soldiers killed in Boko Haram attack

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – At least 10 Chadian soldiers were killed by Boko Haram terrorists in an attack on an island near the Nigerian border on Tuesday.

Several more soldiers were wounded in the attack on Bouka-Toullorom island, according to a statement by Chad’s government.

The military unit had been “dispatched as a precursor to setting up an advanced post,” the statement said.

Brah Mahamat, a government spokesman, said the deadly assault indicates that Boko Haram has an “active presence” in the Lake Chad region.

He said Chad’s government will give “an appropriate response,” while also calling on the international community for support against the terrorist group.

Boko Haram launched a bloody insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 before expanding to neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

According to UN figures, violence committed by Boko Haram has affected 26 million people and displaced some 3 million in the Lake Chad region, while thousands of lives have also been lost to the insurgency.