17 soldiers killed in Chad following attacks by Boko Haram

Islamic insurgents popularly known as Boko Haram launched an attack on a military post in Chad on Saturday, November 9, resulting in the death of 17 soldiers.

The spokesperson of the Chadian army, General Issakh Achiekh made this announcement via a televised broadcast in the evening of Sunday, November 10.

This year, the Lake Chad region has been hit by a wave of insurgent attacks, primarily from Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), reigniting fears of violence after a period of relative calm.

In one of the more recent incidents, 40 soldiers were killed in an assault on a military base last month, leading President Mahamat Deby Itno to initiate a campaign to remove Boko Haram fighters from the region.

Another attack attributed to Boko Haram resulted in the deaths of seven soldiers in the month of March.

Boko Haram, which began an insurgency over a decade ago in opposition to western education, aims to impose Islamic law in northeastern Nigeria.

The conflict has since spread to neighboring countries in West Africa, including Cameroon, Niger and Chad.