11 killed in clashes between Chadian forces, Boko Haram militants

At least four Chadian soldiers and seven militants from the Nigeria-based Takfiri group Boko Haram have been killed in cross-border clashes in the volatile Lake Chad region.

A security source said Sunday that the clashes erupted a day earlier after Boko Haram militants launched a raid from Nigeria on a Chadian military post near the border with Niger.

“Around 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Saturday night, Boko Haram members attacked the Djoroye border post near the Niger border in the Lake Chad region killing four of our soldiers,” said the source, adding, “The Chadian army killed seven Boko Haram fighters”.

There was no official confirmation from the Chadian military of the attack.

Chad is a member of a multinational task force combating Boko Haram across its border with Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon. The force has been created with the aim of preventing a spillover of the militancy to those countries from Nigeria.

Boko Haram militants launched a similar cross-border raid on members of the Niger army two weeks ago. Officials in Niger said five soldiers and 30 militants were killed in the clashes that ensued on September 14.

More than 20,000 people, mostly Nigerians, have been killed since Boko Haram began waging militancy in northern Nigeria in 2009. The group has pledged allegiance to Daesh, a Takfiri terrorist group mainly operating in the Middle East.